Sweet Caroline
by K-Merritt09
Summary: A series of one-shots regarding a shy Statesman doctor and stately Kingsman agent who would do anything for each other, including but not limited to: moving across the world, learning how to use a lasso, and discovering that love is all it's cracked up to be and more. Merlin Lives AU Will include Eggsy, Merlin and various Statesman agents.
1. Don't Go Where I Can't Follow

Harry was finishing up packing his things when he heard the familiar and yet not words come over the speaker in his room.

He had yet to listen to this particular song since that day in Cambodia, but seeing as he had no choice, he decided to listen as he moved through the space.

 _All my memories gathered 'round her_

 _Miner's lady, stranger to blue water_

 _Dark and dusty, painted on the sky_

 _Misty taste of moonshine_

 _Teardrops in my eye_

 _Country roads, take me home_

 _To the place, I belong_

 _West Virginia, mountain momma_

 _Take me home, country roads_

Home...did he even have that anymore? He didn't think so. Everything that remained of his life before Richmond Valentine came on the scene had been destroyed by Poppy Adams,

and he had been living in a sterile room with no memory of who he was for a year before Eggsy and Merlin, having nowhere else to turn, came to Statesman for help rebuilding the tattered remains of Kingsman.

It seemed truly terrifying to him. He had no choice but to start over, but what did he do? Even with Statesman resources at his disposal, he and Eggsy were the only ones left.

He heard a gentle knock on the door behind him and smiled when it opened to reveal a short, red-headed woman.

She was holding a neatly wrapped package in her hands and she smiled a smile that made his heart flutter...not that he would tell anyone that of course.

"Hey, Galahad! I wanted to catch you before you, Tequila, Merlin and G2 before you go back to London."

Harry waited with anticipation as she fiddled with the package in her hands. Abruptly, she held it out to him.

"I got you somethin' special to remember me by. When we were talking about your butterfly collection, you said you didn't have this one."

Gently, he took it from her hands, knowing how much courage it had taken this small woman to do this.

He could tell she was not the most at ease around men, so for her to be here alone with him was a big deal.

He unwrapped it, noting the look of dread laced anticipation in her eyes and acting accordingly. What he saw once the paper was gone took his breath away.

 _Polygonia interrogationis_

The Question Mark butterfly. He had been trying to get one of these for his collection as long as he could remember and had never been able to find one.

His little friend had given him a gift, but not just any gift. It was a thoughtful one. One that proved to him that despite his best efforts,

she cared enough about him to listen and remember when he told her things. It warmed his heart that she even thought of it, and he couldn't stop his single eye from misting over.

"Thank you, Agent Tonic. You have no idea how much this means to me."

She relaxed significantly, knowing that her gift, which she had worked so hard to find and procure for him, was well received.

He tried to resist the impulse, but he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, his suit be damned.

The smile that overtook his features when she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her cheek into his chest was blinding in its brilliance. Too bad no one else was there to see it.

"Please don't go..."

He heard her whisper, and the sweet sound made his chest ache in its innocence. Of course, he didn't want to leave her behind, but he also didn't want to uproot her and bring her to an unfamiliar place simply because he wanted her close to him. He had a responsibility to the Kingsman he didn't feel he could ignore, but his heart was screaming at him never to let this treasure in his arms go. Instinctively, he curled his arms around her even tighter, letting her know that for the moment, she had him. Gently extracting himself from her arms, he took her face in his hands and looked her in the eye.

"I wish I could stay, Caroline. I really do, but the Kingsman need me, and the Statesman needs you."

She nodded. Despite the tears in her eyes, she knew he was right.

"I know...I wish it didn't have to be this way..."

She whispered, and he nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"I do as well..."

He whispered, and she smiled in spite of her sadness. She pulled away from him and rested her hands on his chest, gently smoothing out the wrinkles her tight embrace had left behind. Eventually, her hands drifted down from his lapel to his hands, which she took in her own. He couldn't stop smiling, it seemed, and she knew it.

Eventually, her hands drifted down from his lapel to his hands, which she took in her own. He couldn't stop smiling, it seemed, and she knew it, basking in it's brilliance for as long as she could.

"It don't have to end here, does it? We can still talk and visit and all of that...right?"

Her voice drifted away, and the sadness returned. For Harry, the truth of the matter was quite simple: every second he spent in her presence weakened his resolve. Every minute spent with her was making him less and less likely to get on the plane that would bring him, Eggsy and Merlin back to Europe and away from her. It stung more than he thought it would. As he looked at her, in all of her beauty and shyness, fear and anxiety, heart and courage, he felt a warmth in his chest that he hadn't felt with anyone before. He resolved to make it work. What they had was too important to him to forsake forever. Leaning down and kissing her deeply, he made a decision.

"No, it doesn't, my sweet, sweet Caroline. I'll be here as long as you'll have me."

And he meant that with every fiber of his being.


	2. Stranger to Blue Waters

She steeled her resolve and approached the conference room. She knew it was bold of her to make such an outlandish suggestion to her boss, but she was going crazy. She hadn't seen Harry since the day he left, and she hadn't spoken to him in the past two said it was because he was on a mission, which gave her a whole new set of things to worry about, but that was beside the point was that this meeting was important.

It would mean the difference between being closer to Harry than she ever thought she would be or be alone for the rest of her life.

She knocked on the door to the Statesman conference room and waited to be called in.

"Come in!"

She heard the distinct voice of Statesman's leader call, and she straightened her blazer. When she walked through the door, she became a different person. A person with a mission, and determination.

"Mornin' Tonic! What can I do for ye?"

He asked, anxiously awaiting her answer. She steeled herself and began speaking, deciding that manners weren't here top priority right now.

"I heard that a lead distiller position opened up at Kingsman."

She said, and Champ smiled

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it did. I found the old lead distiller was a bit of a stick in the mud. Didn't quite like being bossed around by what he called "Backcountry hicks from the middle of nowhere." He learned the error of his ways right quick. Why're you bringin' it up?"

She straightened, forcing herself to relax. If she can bring back a man from the dead, she can do this.

"I'd like to throw my hat in the ring for it."

Champ didn't look surprised.

"Would a certain one-eyed Englishman have something to do with your interest, Caroline?"

She cringed internally. She hated when Champ used her first name. It made her feel small. It didn't help matters that he was 100% right. She would stand her ground, though. And she was adamant that she at least be considered.

"He's a part of it, yes. But he's not the only reason. Medicine is great and all, but thousands of people could be Tonic. Only a few people could be both an agent and a distiller. I happen to have the skills required of both, and it wouldn't be a problem to build trust between the Kingsman and me. They know me, they respect me, they trust me. It'd be great for all of us. I could be a liaison between the agencies, playing both sides, but not in a bad way. We'd be more connected than ever before."

She stopped speaking when her boss started laughing, which did not make her happy. In fact, it did the exact opposite.

"This isn't funny! I'm being serious, Champ. Please give me a chance here. Let me prove that I'm more than a wallflower. You won't be disappointed."

He took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. Once he was finished, he looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"I know you are! I was going to offer it to you anyways, you crazy girl."

Her jaw dropped.

"You were?"

She said, and he nodded.

"If anyone around here deserves a promotion, it's you. I'm sorry I didn't realize that before now. But you're gonna have to get used to a few things."

She nodded.

"Whatever it takes, sir. I'll do anything."

Champ gave her a look that said she'd done the right thing.

"First of all, you've got a new codename. Since we lost Scotch during the whole Valentine mix up, we haven't filled the role. Now that we have a scotch distillery, it makes sense that the role you've just described carries the name."

She nodded. It would take some getting used to, as she had been Tonic for so long she had almost forgotten her real name, but she was ready to do it if it meant she got to be where she wanted to be. Champ continued.

"Secondly, you've gotta get yourself a new wardrobe, or at least part of one. If you're gonna represent the Kingsman brand, you've gotta look the part. When you get to London to check in with Tequila, get yourself some new digs at the shop. I'm sure a certain someone would love to see you."

The way he emphasized that last sentence was not lost on her, but she let it go. He continued again.

"Thirdly, be prepared to deal with a lot of Scottish assholes who think they know more about your job than you do. That's why I fired the last guy, and you can't be afraid to clear out the ranks if you feel like you need to. Scotch is serious business and they treat it like such. Know your stuff but be humble. That will impress them more than anything."

She smiled despite herself.

"I've been doing that for a long time, sir. Dealing with assholes, I mean. I think I've got it down by now. When do I leave?"

He laughed at her forwardness.

"We've got one more thing to do before this is official. Put your glasses on."

She hastily grabbed them from the breast pocket of the too big denim shirt she was wearing and unceremoniously put them on her face.

She could see the faces of her fellow agents all around the table.

They were the ones who would determine her fate now.

She only hoped that they had the faith in her that Champ seemed to.

She looked around the conference room and smiled as she recognized each of her fellow agents.

Tequila stood out like a sore thumb, wearing a finely tailored bespoke suit surrounded by a sea of denim, but it didn't stop him from waving at her. Champ cleared his throat and looked to the agents around the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to vote. Those in favor of Tonic becoming Scotch?"

She was shocked. The vote was unanimous. Champ smiled over at her.

"Well, look at that! Pack your bags, Scotch. Your flight to London leaves in 3 hours."

She was on the verge of tears, but she reached out and shook Champ's extended hand.

"You won't regret this, boss. None of you will. Thank you so much."

She said, and with that, she was off.

The next three hours were spent in a frenzy, only packing the things she knew she couldn't be was careful to pick out what she was going to wear once she was in London and placed it in the leather garment bag Harry's old suit, the one he had been wearing when they found him at that church, lived Ale had meticulously brought it back to life, and she knew that even if he never wore it again, he would appreciate that they had taken such care with outfit she herself had settled on was a lovely women's pants suit, grey with faint pinstripes and the white dress shirt she had splurged on an outing with her mother a few years pulled her father's old cufflinks from where she kept them and put them in the garment bag as she was going to be working for a bespoke company, she would prove that she deserved , Agent Vodka, who she discovered would be her pilot that day, came and told her it was time to grabbed her 2 items of luggage and the garment bag and walked out the door past turned to look at the room that had been hers since she started at Statesman and smiled.

This would all be brand new, but she had never been so excited.


	3. Reunited Part 1

Merlin had never seen Harry act this way.

He was despondent, is what he was. It was weird to see him going about his daily business without any of the self-assured bravadoes he usually had.

 _He must have left in Kentucky with Tonic._

He thought, smiling despite himself. If Harry could find such a sweet little thing in the heart of America, then maybe there was hope for a legless old man like him. That was the thought that was going through his mind when the door to the shop opened. He didn't pay any attention at first until he heard the whistled tune of his favorite John Denver song. He was still getting used to his prosthetics, so when he turned to greet the customer, he was a little wobbly. When he finally regained his balance, however, he was almost knocked on his rear from the shock. It was none other than Agent Tonic, in a bespoke suit of her own. Where she had gotten it from, he didn't know, but he couldn't wait to see the look on Harry's face when he got back to the shop. She was carrying a brown leather garment bag in her hand and had her usually unruly red hair pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. The only thing that didn't quite fit with the ensemble was the Statesman glasses she wore on her face, but he couldn't find it in himself to make a jab at her. He finally cleared his throat, and she turned to face him.

"Hey there, Merlin. How are you?"

She said in her sweet voice. It was almost hypnotizing to him, but a bad way shook the fog from his brain long enough to respond.

"I'm doing well Agent Tonic. How are you?"

She laughed.

"Well, first of all, I'm not Tonic anymore, Merlin."

The man looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"You've left the Statesman?"

He asked, and was relieved when she shook her head no.

"No. As a matter of fact, I got a promotion. You're looking at Agent Scotch. I'll be working out of the new distillery in Glasgow."

Merlin tried not to laugh, he really did, but this was so perfect. They had wondered what that Statesman meeting Tequila had suddenly been called into the day before was about...

"Harry'll be thrilled that you're closer now. He's been despondent since we came back here, you know."

She laughed.

"I'd be lying if I said I was much better, Merlin. Speaking of Harry, is he here?"

The bald Scotsman shook his head.

"He's with Eggsy in Sweden. The little blighter went and got himself married to a princess of all things. He won't be back until tomorrow night. Tequila is learning the finer arts of suitmaking and tailoring upstairs if you want to say hello."

She smiled.

"Maybe later. I need your help with something first."

She held out the garment bag to him and he took it.

"This is what Harry was wearing the day we found him. We didn't want to throw it away in case it helped him remember. We even managed to scrounge up a Kingsman issue garment bag, just in case. Ginger and I had no idea how to fix it without wrecking it even further, so I thought I'd bring it with me and see what you could do with it."

Merlin almost dropped it, the very thought of what was inside more frightening than he cared to admit. But he maintained his composure and nodded at the girl.

"Well let's examine the damage, and we'll see what can be done."

He said tensely, and she noticed. She reached out and grabbed the handle of the bag, turning his attention back to her.

"Look, Merlin, you don't gotta do this if you don't want to. I figured you'd be able to because you wear the same type of stuff and have the skill but you really don't have to. I won't make you if it hurts too much. I know he'll probably never wear it again, but I thought It'd be nice for him to have something of his old life back."

Merlin nodded at her thoughtfulness, both towards him and Harry. She obviously wanted what was best for both of them. He hadn't really seen that before. When they'd first met, He'd been so thrilled to have his friend back that he didn't even pay attention to the people who had saved his life. This woman, however, had proven herself worthy of his attention. He gently tugged the bag out of her hand, steeling himself for what he would find inside once he opened it. The contents surprised him. In almost pristine condition, free of wrinkles and stains was the suit. Merlin would know what it looked like anywhere. His hands were the ones that had made it, after all, and he could tell her the exact fabric, buttons, thread, and stitches that went into each part from the lapel down to the hem of the pants. He could even tell her the signature he put on every suit he made, be it for a client or a fellow Kingsman. The light grey pinstripes were almost taunting him, but he swallowed down the regret that had been eating at him for the better part of a year and got to work. Looking up at her, he smiled.

"Harry would appreciate how well you've taken care of this. How did you know how to hang it?"

She laughed.

"My father was the owner of many a bespoke suit. He taught me from a young age how to take care of them, and I figured it couldn't be much different than hanging his suits was. We were careful to get all the stains out first. We didn't want to scare him."

Merlin laughed.

"Where'd you get yours from?"

He asked, and she smiled.

"I repurposed one of my fathers. He got it at Huntsman in New York, and, when he passed away, I brought it back to them and asked them to tailor it for me. They did a wonderful job. Once my sister saw it, she picked her favorite and did the same thing."

Merlin smiled down at the suit. If she was willing to give a little, he would too.

"I remember my first Kingsman fitting. I was a kid from a farming town in Scotland being fitted for a dapper looking suit, and I had never felt more out of place in my life. my mentor, Gawain was his codename...he laughed at me and told me, and I quote "You'd better get used to it. This suit might save your life one day."

Scotch looked over at him and nodded down to his legs.

"Did it? Save your life, I mean."

He nodded.

"Only just. If I've been told correctly, you and Ginger Ale had something to do with it too."

She blushed.

"We did. You Kingsman seem to make good test subjects for our medical experiments. Harry was the first successful human subject for the alpha gel, you for the cauterizing paste. Statesman really has the opportunity to do good things for the world. Hopefully, we can take them to market in the public one day, but for now, we'll save the lives we can."

Merlin sighed.

"I don't believe it was either of our intentions to be guinea pigs for those things, but we're thankful none the less."

She chuckled to herself. They didn't know it, but she knew the feeling. She reached over and patted Merlin on the hand, showing that she stood in solidarity with the man.

"Well," She said. "Let's get to it. If I remember correctly, the worst damage was to shoulders..."

They worked well into the night. With some strategic re-stitching and proper washing, the suit was as good as new the next morning. When Tequila finally left the office they had given him, he smiled when he saw the two agents asleep at Merlin's workstation. Deciding to leave them be, he left for his apartment, locking the door behind him.


	4. Reunited Part 2: And It Feels So Good

Harry was happy for Eggsy. Happier than he had been since he had returned to England, that is for sure. However, nothing could quite fill the Caroline sized hole in his heart. She was an irrevocable part of him now, and being separated from her was an agony he couldn't move past. As he drove down the streets of London towards Savile Row and the Kingsman shop, he thought about everything he loved about her. Her sweetness, her joy, her beauty, her kindness, her gentleness...he loved all of those parts of her. The part he loved the most, however, was the part she had trusted him with: her heart. She truly was an amazing person, and he would never understand why, of all the people in the world, she chose him. Eventually, they arrived at the storefront. He paid his cabby generously and got out. He had gotten his luggage delivered to his new flat, so he didn't have to worry about it. He stretched his aching muscles and waved at the cabby as he drove away. Without fail, the Kingsman storefront made him smile. This morning, however, he was taken aback, not by the storefront itself, but by the person he saw standing just inside it.

Caroline.

Caroline.

Caroline.

It was the one word his mind kept conjuring, but it felt too good to be true. She was wearing an exceptionally well-tailored suit, but he'd recognize her anywhere. She was standing there, talking to Tequila, who reached out and hugged her. If he was reading the cowboy's lips correctly, congratulations were in order, but he didn't know what for. Deciding he had stood on the street long enough, he moved towards the door, hoping beyond all hope that his eyes had not deceived him.

As it turned out, they definitely had not. It was her. Tequila and Merlin heard the door open before her, as they were quick to turn and face him. Caroline, it seemed, was a little more nervous. When she finally did turn around, he smiled a smile that she knew in her heart was reserved especially for her.

"Welcome back, Galahad."

Merlin said, ever the gentleman.

"How was Sweden?"

Tequila asked next, and Caroline looked down at the floor. Harry, for his part, did an exceptional job of pretending to care about what they wanted to talk to him about.

"It was incredible. Lancelot sends his regards, and asks that we not call him in unless absolutely necessary for the next 3 weeks."

 _So G2 chose a new codename._

Eggsy had told her about the old Lancelot. How he had come to meet her, and how she had died at the hands of Poppy Adams and her missiles. It was a sad story, really. She didn't know what she would do if she lost Tequila or any of her fellow Statesman. They were a family, and even though they argued, they really loved each other. The old Whiskey had been a rare exception to the rule, the lives they saved making the loss of an agent a little easier to bear.

Harry was tracking the conversation just enough to make it seem like he wasn't singularly focused on the woman in the room. He nodded politely to acknowledge Tequila when he said he had finally sewn a coat sleeve with the proper seam allowance, and he kept just far enough away from Merlin to keep from getting hit in the face by his arms that were flying about in exuberence. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't shake the thought that the woman he loved was beautiful in that suit. He knew right away that it wasn't a Kingsman suit, as the fabric it was made of was not one he was familiar with. Nevertheless, He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

She finally got the chance to look at him. Really look at him. He was as beautiful to her as ever, with his perfectly coiffed hair, and wonderfully tailored suit, umbrella hanging on his arm, sharp looking glasses on his face. When she got up the courage to speak, she smiled at him.

"Hey, baby."

She said, and his heart started racing. Not caring that he was in the company of his best friend and her best friend, he raced forward and took her in his arms, mindful of her suit, but also not really caring. They had an excellent relationship with the dry cleaner at the end of the row. If they needed to get their suits cleaned and pressed, they could do it there. All he needed was right here in his arms. He couldn't help but think of the last time they had been together like this. The day they left Kentucky...oh it felt like a lifetime ago now that she was here. He didn't feel so lost anymore. He felt whole. Pulling away, he put his hands on her cheeks, looking her dead in the eye. Tequila and Merlin had vanished out of sight.

"Not that I am not completely overjoyed to see you, but why are you here? And where did you get that suit?"

She chuckled to herself.

"I got a promotion Galahad. You're looking at the new Lead Distiller of Kingsman Scotch."

He looked perplexed.

"What?"

She put her hands on his wrists, feeling his racing pulse.

"Champ said they needed a new lead distiller at Kingsman in Islay. He and the other agents picked me for the job. My new codename is Scotch if you can believe it."

She counted in her mind how many seconds it took him to realize what that all entailed. No less than 15 seconds later, he was kissing her with a passion she had not known he possessed. It lasted a long time, and she ran out of breath but she didn't care. When he finally let her go, he smiled a smile so big it almost busted his cheeks.

"You're..."

He whispered, afraid if he spoke the words out loud, he would jinx it. She just smiled and nodded.

"Moving to Islay? Why yes, Galahad. Yes, I am."

He smiled again, basking in the glow of this good news. He finally had his heart's desire. As he slowly descended from cloud nine, he could vaguely hear her talking about the suit she was wearing.

"...my father had it made at Huntsman in New York the year after they opened. They're the first Savile Row shop to have a permanent location in New York and he wanted to be a part of it. He was a fan of the double-breasted jacket, but I liked this suit because it didn't have it. After he passed away, my sister and I each picked our favorite of his suits and had them tailored to fit us back at Huntsman. We wore them to the memorial service and everything."

He nodded. The Huntsman Tailor Shop in London was right across the street from them, and he knew them well. They made good suits, but Kingsmans were better simply because they offered a kind of protection one couldn't get anywhere else. His brain came back into focus as she grabbed his hand.

"Speaking of suits...I have something for you. Merlin and I worked on it all night."

She gently tugged on his hand, and he was quick to follow simply because he didn't imagine that there was a better place to be than at her side. She guided him to a mannequin covered in a green linen with the Kingsman logo embroidered on it. Merlin and Tequila re-appeared as stealthily as the left, wanting to see the reveal.

"Now, before we do this, I do have to tell you one thing."

She turned to face him and took his two strong hands in her small ones.

"This is something that Ginger and I took great care of the year you were with us, but we didn't know what to do with it. We wanted to see if anyone who knew you would show up. We knew you couldn't be just anyone, in a suit like that with all the tech you had on you? We figured it was only a matter of time, and it was. Merlin and Eggsy came, in the same fancy dress as you with the accents that had Ginger swoonin', let me tell you. Then I realized that I was coming here and that if anyone could fix a Kingsman suit, it would be a Kingsman tailor. So...without further ado..."

She let go of his hands and turned to the mannequin. She gently tugged on the linen and let it fall to the floor, leaving Tequila to pick it up..

What Harry saw in that moment, was almost as surprising as the butterfly she brought him his last day in Kentucky. He had always wondered what had happened to the suit he was wearing that god-forsaken day, and here it was, as pristine as the day Merlin had presented it to him. Looking over to the woman responsible, he found he couldn't find the words to describe how he felt. She came and wrapped her hand around his again, gently leaning against his side.

"I'm 99% certain you won't ever wear it again, but Ginger and I didn't want to get rid of it. We were able to get the stains out, and Merlin and I were able to repair most of the damage, but don't think I'll make you wear it. I just wanted to bring it back to its former glory...just like you."

He chuckled at the sentiment. Restored. That's what he felt like. Like he had been restored. Like the suit, like the Kingsmen, like his heart. This brand of restoration was a good thing, he reckoned. Looking down at the woman by his side, he smiled.

Yes. It was quite good.


	5. Make it Right

Tequila was happy for his oldest and dearest friend.

When Caroline had come to Statesman, she had been nothing more than a shy med student on the back end of a bad relationship, trying to get by without drawing attention to herself. Constantly underestimated, she worked hard and was flying through the ranks in medical until one day, Champ gave her the chance to become an agent. He remembered being fascinated by her, watching as she broke out of her shell little by little until she had become nothing short of a wonder. For all of the concerns he had about her going through the rigorous training, she had dominated the field and was the first person to claim the codename Tonic. Her passion was still medicine, but she was able to use it much more diversely, giving the Statesman the opportunity to make a real difference.

The technology used to save the two men in front of him was proof enough of that. He knew that without the Alpha Gel, things would have gone much differently for Harry and that without the gel that she and Ginger used on Merlin, he'd have died alone in a forest in Cambodia. That tech wouldn't have existed if not for her hard work and dedication to Statesman.

When he was sitting in that meeting with Champ and the other agents, however, he was singing a different tune. Before, she had seemed fragile and weak. Now, she was confident. She knew exactly what she wanted, and if he could play a part in her getting it, he would, no questions asked.

As he listened to her talk to Champ through the headset of his glasses, he smiled to himself. If this worked out the way he hoped it would, it would be all the better for the Statesman. Many of the other agents believed her talents were being wasted, the cover of the head of human resources nowhere near a sufficient use of her talents. Filling that role would be easy, as many people were busting down the gates for a chance to work for the world's foremost Bourbon distillery. Promoting Tonic was an obvious choice, her knowledge of chemistry and the other finer points of distilling an obvious advantage over the competition, but her connections to the Kingsman agents gave her the leg up required for her to do well in the role, not just for herself, but for everyone involved. He had gladly raised his hand in her honor, and everyone else had too.

 _Time for our butterfly to fly away._

He thought, and he was glad that everyone else had the same confidence in her that he did.

Now, as she stood in front of him, talking to the man she loved about suits and the like, he knew that he had done the right thing. However, he did find that he had to interrupt.

"Hey, Scotch...I heard Champ say something about you needin' some new digs."

She smiled.

"You heard right, Teq. He gave me a company card and everything!"

There seemed to be a joke that the Englishman and Scotsman were having a hard time with. Tequila looked at Merlin and laughed.

"Champ wants her to get a suit or two...or three. Said if she's gonna rep Kingsman, she's gotta look the part as much as she acts it. They'll also protect her on missions, which is also a plus."

He pretended not to notice the smirk that hit Harry's face at the thought and continued.

"He also figured she'd look damn sharp in one...he's not wrong."

Merlin and Harry exchanged looks with one another, smiling despite the sorrow they felt. The only other female they'd fitted for a Kingsman suit was dead, but this woman was not, and they would make the most out of it. Merlin was the first to speak.

"Well then, let's get to it! I'll need to take your measurements of course, and then we can talk about style..."

Tequila chuckled, remembering his experience being fitted for a Kingsman suit. Merlin buzzed around him like a bumblebee on steroids, and he hadn't had a clue what was going on, deciding that going with it and following directions was the best course of action for him. She probably knew a lot more about the process than he ever cared to, so it'd be a bit more fun for her. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he looked over to the man across from him. He was looking at Caroline with a smile on his face, which brought joy to Tequila's heart, but he had something he needed to say to the Englishman. Something important.

"Hey Galahad...can I talk to you quickly?"

The man nodded and walked to the conference room. Once the door was closed behind him, he turned to face the man who had saved his life.

"First of all, I never said thanks to you and Galahad...Lancelot for what you did...the whole Poppy situation was nothing short of a miracle. You saved my life and so many others...It's a shame no one else will ever know who saved 'em."

Harry nodded sagely, trying not to let his emotions cloud his response to the kindness exhibited by his contemporary in that moment.

"It was, I hope, what anyone in my position would have done. Millions did not deserve to die for the whims of a mad lady. I'm sure Eggsy would feel the same way."

Tequila nodded.

"I sure hope so, sir. The second thing I wanted to talk to you about was regarding Scotch out there."

The Englishman paid rapt attention to the former cowboy, prompting him to chuckle.

"Relax, Galahad. It's nothing bad. I just wanted to let you know that she's like a little sister to me, and if you hurt her, I won't be the only Statesman you have to answer to. She's suffered enough in this life, and we won't tolerate it if you hurt her anymore."

Harry nodded slowly, wrapping his mind around what he had said. He had a vague idea of the things she had gone through, but to have it confirmed by someone who cared about her almost as much as he did both saddened and encouraged him. Looking the American in the eye, he held out his hand and made a promise.

"I'll do my best to ensure she's always happy, Tequila. You and your fellow agents have my word."

Tequila didn't doubt it, and they sealed the deal with a handshake.


	6. Making it Work

Merlin, when focused on a task, was a whirlwind of efficiency. Even with the new prosthetics, he moved with a confidence that she envied.

He was currently hurrying around her, measuring every square inch of her body, or so it seemed so that he could make her suits the best they could be. She felt like an experiment sometimes, but she was relaxing into it quite nicely. As Merlin moved about, she lost herself in her thoughts, listening to Merlin just enough to do what he asked her to when he asked her to do it. She was thinking about everything she would need to do once she got to Islay when she heard the telltale sign of a prosthetic leg disengaging from its mount. She shook herself from her stupor just in time to keep the stoic Scotsman from hitting the floor. He was embarrassed, and she could tell but said nothing as she led him to the chair in the corner of the room. Once there, she gently rolled up the leg of his pants to right above his knee, which she noticed was covered in bruises. Turning behind her and grabbing the dropped leg, she examined it closely to see if she could determine what had caused the problem. As she turned it over in her hands, she found it almost immediately.

"Merlin...the fastener is loose on your leg."

He nodded.

"Yes, it is."

She was shocked.

"You've been using it like this?"

She asked him incredulously and almost started crying when he shook his head yes.

"Why?"

He shook his head gently, confused as to why she cared so much.

"Why do you care?"

He asked stubbornly. He wanted to know before this conversation went any further. She inhaled deeply, trying not to lose her patience with him. That was the last thing he needed right now.

"I care because first and foremost, I am a doctor. I treated these injuries and I suggested these legs to you. I need to know if I made the right recommendation, or if we have to try something new."

She placed the leg on the ground beside her and took his hands in hers.

"I also would like to think that we're friends. I know you're a spy and all, but even the best spies don't go it alone. Now, I'm going to ask again: why have you been using this leg, knowing full well that it was damaged?"

All of a sudden, his bravado drained out of him, his defenses dropped and he felt awful for even thinking that she didn't have his best interests in mind.

"I couldn't figure out how to fix it, so I let it be."

She ran her hand over her face and sighed.

"Well, why didn't you call me, you silly man, you? We could've cleared this up right from the beginning!"

She asked, wanting to know what kept him from asking for help when he needed it. She had a feeling that she knew, but she wanted to hear it from him. Before he began, he made her make a promise.

"Do you promise that nothing I am about to say will leave this room?"

She shook her head.

"I take patient confidentiality very seriously, Merlin. You can trust me."

She heard him take a deep breath in and waited for him to start.

"I've always been the one they come to for help. The calm one. The level-headed one. The one who has all of the answers. Answers to questions they didn't even think to ask. What would they think if, for the first time ever, I don't have the answer, even if it is for myself? I'm so used to being asked for help that I've forgotten how to ask for it."

And there it was. As she tried to figure out what to say next, she ran her thumbs over the backs of his calloused hands. Suddenly, she had an idea, and it was either really good or really bad, but she decided to do it anyway. She worked up her courage and spoke before he could say anything else.

"Has Tequila told you about how I came to work at Statesman?"

The man shook his head no. She closed her eyes against the tears and continued again.

" I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship. I showed up for my first day at Statesman covered in bruises. Even the best makeup I could afford didn't cover them up completely. The guy was a real prick, let me tell you. If I wasn't home exactly when I said I would be, he expected the worst of me. He accused me of cheating more than once, Told me who I could spend time with and when. He came home drunk with other women but wouldn't even let me spend time with my own brothers. He locked me out of my apartment, he took my car keys. He did a bunch of stuff like that, and me being as naive as I was, believed it was normal. I defended him when people were worried that he was hurting me. I told people I was fine when I was really a broken shell of a human being. One day, after I had stolen my keys back from him, my car broke down on the side of the road. I was trying so hard to figure out what was wrong so I could fix it and go home, but then I heard a truck coming from behind me. I turned to see if it was someone who could help me, and who else did I see but the monster who haunted my dreams every night. He got madder than hell at me and started beating me. He started throwing punches, and I didn't know how to protect myself then, so every hit broke something. Towards the end of it, he pulled a knife and started cutting me up with it. It was awful."

Looking up at Merlin, she could see the anger written plainly across his features. She squeezed the hands still held her own.

"There isn't anything you can do about it now. Anyways, he almost killed me, and I think he would have if Tequila and Vodka hadn't gotten their hands on him. He worked at Statesman, and they had heard him talking about how he wanted to kill me. I knew Tequila because I worked at the bar he and his friends frequented so I could pay for school. Tequila didn't like what he had overheard, so he grabbed Vodka and followed him. Vodka pulled 'im off me and beat him bloody before he threw him to the ground and came over to help me. They bundled me up in their coats and brought me to Ginger Ale. She fixed me up real good, and once she learned that I was a medical student, put in a good word for me that got me my first job at Statesman."

Merlin nodded, not understanding why she had brought it up, but glad that he could learn a little more about this woman. She smiled brilliantly at him, despite the tears that were flowing freely from her eyes.

"I didn't tell you that story so you'd feel bad for me, Merlin. I brought it up because I understand what it's like to have your life turned upside down by something. I couldn't be alone with any man over 6 feet tall for almost a year. I had worked at Statesman for almost two years before Tequila and I even spoke more than a couple of words to each other. I barely talked to anyone else, and when I did, it was short clipped sentences. I had no friends, and I lived in a small room on the Statesman compound because I was afraid that if I left the property, he would find me again. Champ was...he was my champion. He overlooked other more qualified candidates when the Tonic position was created and made me his candidate. Everyone thought he was crazy, but he did it, and I worked every day to prove I was worthy of it. When I got Tonic, it was like I found myself again. Gone was the fragile caterpillar, and in her place was a beautiful butterfly."

Smiling, she nodded towards his legs.

"If, after all of that, I can move forward and become the best version of myself, you can too. Let's be real, what I went through pales in comparison to this, and you're a much stronger person than I am. But even the strongest people cannot do it alone. I learned that the hard way. I lost two years of my life because I thought I could get by alone. Statesman changed all of that. There are people here who care about you, Merlin. I know that, if you asked them to, they'd do anything for you, just like you do for them."

She picked up the carbon fiber leg from where she had placed it and rested it across his lap.

"I know how to fix your fastener problem. All we need is a small Allen wrench and a magnifying glass. Once we get those things, it'll be smooth sailing."

He was startled by the abrupt subject change, but thankful for it none the less.

"We've got a toolkit under the front desk. Galahad can get it for you."

With that, she walked out, leaving Merlin alone with his thoughts. She was right, of course.

He didn't have to do it alone.

Before he had had much time to think, she stuck her head back in the room.

"Also, before I forget, don't be ashamed if you need to use your crutches or wheelchair every once in a while. You're human just like the rest of us, and those legs are heavy."

He laughed. She was right about that too.


	7. Declaring War

The next day, Galahad and Tequila were surprised to see Merlin wheeling around the shop in his chair. They had grown accustomed to him walking, so the chair was a shock to their systems. Harry, of course, thought it meant that something had gone wrong, and asked his friend frankly what it was. Merlin laughed.

"Thank you for your concern, but it really is nothing. Your little butterfly gave me some advice is all. I was having a rough go of it yesterday, but she and I came to an understanding. She is quite something."

Harry knew that. He was the first to know that, but he wouldn't fully be at ease until he spoke to her. She was a doctor, after all, and he felt like he could trust her information once he corroborated it with what Merlin had told him. Speaking of which, where was she? His work phone buzzed against his chest, and he got his answer.

At the cafe on the corner. Care to join me? - S/C

His response was immediate.

Which corner? - G/H

Of course, he knew the answer, but he wanted an excuse to talk to her some more.

West of the shop at the end of the row. I want to talk to you about something. It's important. - S/C

He hoped it wasn't bad, whatever it was. He turned to Merlin and smiled.

"I'm going to meet up with Agent Scotch. We'll be back soon."

He didn't notice when Merlin nodded because he was already halfway to the door. As he walked, he wondered if she'd be wearing another suit like the one she'd been wearing the day before. She'd gone home with Tequila, claiming she was too tired to wait for Harry, no matter how much she loved him. He was lost in those thoughts when he arrived at the cafe in question. He quickly scoped out the patio for any sign of her and smiled when he realized she must have chosen a seat inside. Of course, she did. She's a spy too. Cover is everything. He walked inside and found her sitting in a booth towards the back of the room with her back to the door. When he approached, he smiled when he saw she was doing the London Times crossword puzzle in pen.

"Wasn't it you who said you weren't really doing the puzzle if it wasn't in pen?"

She smiled as she laid her pen on the table.

"I believe it was."

She said with a smirk as he sat across from him. Once he was settled, she put her pen down and folded up the paper. It was then that he realized that this really was serious and important. She reached over and took his hands.

"First of all, how are you this mornin'?"

She asked, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I'm good, thank you. How are you?"

She stifled a yawn and smiled back.

"Not quite used to the time change, but I'll manage. Sorry I didn't stay with you last night. I didn't want to interrupt whatever it was you and Hamish were working on so I bunked at Chris's."

He nodded, noting her use of their aliases. Clever girl.

"Not a problem. Not to be rude, but you said you had something important to discuss with me?"

She nodded, trying to figure out a way to bring it up tactfully. When she couldn't she just blurted out the truth.

"It's about Hamish, Matthew."

That simple sentence got his attention.

"I figured it might be, Caroline. What about him?"

He said, trying to keep his calm. If something was going on with Merlin, he wanted to know about it. Caroline, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what to say and what to keep to herself. While she had promised Merlin she wouldn't divulge any of what he said, he felt like Harry needed to know so that he could help his oldest and dearest friend adjust to his new life.

"First thing, I'm sure you noticed he wasn't using his legs today. He's been having a bit of a tough go of it lately, but he didn't want to tell any of you because he thought it might..."

She dropped off at the end, trying to come up with a way that would both protect Merlin's ego and Harry's feelings all at once.

"...change your view of him."

Harry scoffed at the idea.

"In case you haven't noticed, love, he's not the only one around the shop with a life-altering injury."

She rolled her eyes and continued anyway.

"I know that, but what he thinks is what he thinks. In situations like this, it's almost never rational. It took me almost two years to get to this point in my relationship with Chris. I didn't believe people were good so I ignored them. It wasn't rational, but it was how I felt. You want to know what he said?"

Harry leaned forward in his seat, anxiously awaiting what she would tell him. Caroline's eye's misted over with tears, but she pushed through.

"He said that because he's the one you always go to when you need answers, he didn't feel comfortable asking you for help with his legs, and not just you. He could've asked Francis or Chris or you, Matthew, but he didn't because he was afraid you wouldn't trust him to help you anymore if he couldn't take care of himself. Instead of asking for help, he's been walking around on a leg with a loose fastener, falling over if he moved too quickly."

She was getting emotional, and she knew it. But Merlin was more than just a patient to her. He was her friend, and she wanted to make sure that he was being taken care of. She wiped her tears from her eyes, looking up to see her own anguish reflected in the man across from her.

"I told him that he didn't have to be ashamed of needing help. I also showed him how too fix the loose fastener and any other basic problems that might come up. Merlin is a proud man, but even proud men need help. It doesn't make them weak."

Harry was quick to notice the way she emphasizes that last statement. It was reminiscent of how she had been with him when he had woken up after the Valentine incident. She continued, with more passion than he had ever heard from her.

"He's wishing his life was the same but it won't. It won't ever be again. When bad things happen, we think we'll just go back to normal. Meanwhile, normal has developed a new definition in our absence. If we don't move on, into the new normal, then life, for lack of a better term, sucks the life out of us. Out of everyone in the office, I'm sure you'd know that from experience."

She said, pointing to his eye while noticing he had gone for the eye patch instead of his Kingsman issue glasses. Harry nodded, understanding perfectly well what she meant. He did know what it meant to have you're normal thrown out the window. How he hadn't seen that his friend and colleague was struggling with the very same things that he had was beyond him, and he promised himself that he'd reconcile that as soon as he was able. He looked up at Caroline and was surprised to see that she had brought out the newspaper again. She was writing something in the margin of the crossword puzzle that he believed was only for him. She rotated it around and placed it in front of him.

I'll deny it if you tell him I told you any of this.

He read and nodded to her.

"Well, it's good to know we're on the same page, Mr. Devere."

She said and stood up form the table, offering him her hand, which he then took in a firm handshake.

"Yes, it is, Ms. Richardson."

He responded, and she chuckled at him. He was a little off-put by the way she kept looking around the room but said nothing as she began to speak again.

"I'll be by the shop today to see the rest of my fitting. I wouldn't be surprised if good ol' Hamish wanted to start over just to see me suffer."

He nodded.

"I will see you then, madame."

She nodded down to his breast pocket.

"I think you're ringing, so I'll leave you be. Have a good day, Mr. Devere."

That was a code phrase they had developed back in Kentucky. They had company, and it most likely wasn't good. She turned towards the front exit, hoping to draw whoever it was out onto the street where she might have more of an advantage. Harry, on the other hand, exited through the door that led to the alleyway. He was the one who was followed. When he felt someone grab his shoulder, he lashed out, striking the man in the eye before twisting his arm to get a good look at him. He had never seen the man before. He was tall, wearing dark wash jeans and a canvas work shirt. He had two guns sticking out of his waist and a knife tucked into the tall boots he wore.

"And who might you be, exactly?"

He asked, concerned that he had not noticed the man before. The writhing man was quick to point down to his belt buckle.

"I'm from Statesman! Champ sent me to keep an eye on Scotch. There's been a threat made against her and he wanted to make sure there was an extra set of eyes on her."

He dropped the man's arm and let him up, still pointing his umbrella at him as he pulled out his phone. Dialing, he patiently waited for Caroline to answer her phone.

"This is Caroline.."

She said, and he smiled.

"Yes love, I think I found our follower..."

She laughed.

"Did you now? Figure out who he is?"

He sighed and pulled his glasses out of his breast pocket.

"Photo incoming..."

He said, taking a photo of the man through the lens of the glasses he had chosen not to wear that morning. He noticed immediately when Caroline gasped.

"Gin, you sorry son of a bitch."

She mumbled.

"He's a friendly, Galahad. Bring him with you when you come back to the shop. I've got a few questions for him, and tell him I'm not sorry that you gave him the knock around. He scared the shit out of me."

He nodded, taking the man by the hand and pulling him up from the ground.

"My apologies for the knock to the eye, Agent Gin. I'll make sure to get you some ice when we get where we're going."

The man shook his head.

"I didn't think she'd made me until you were getting ready to leave. She really is much more observant than people give her credit for."

Harry smiled despite himself.

"People tend to be surprised when they underestimate those around them. If you'd like to follow me, I'll take you to the shop. She's there with some of our agents."

The agent nodded.

"Good. If the threat Champ sent me here to protect her from is real, she needs all the eyes on her that she can get."

Harry decided to wait until they were at the shop to dig deeper into that. It had to be important if Champ sent an agent to look after her.

As they walked, Gin wisely kept a bit of distance in between him and Harry, knowing that he could kill him without much effort if he decided he wanted to. When they arrived at the shop, Harry noticed Caroline pacing in the showroom, seemingly quite worried about something. He rang the buzzer on the door to let those inside know he was coming in and, when he opened the door, nodded to Merlin, who was currently the only one facing the door.

"Hey there, Scotch!"

The jovial southerner said, trying to ease the tension that was flowing freely through the room. Caroline was having none of it, however, and walked over to him.

"Hello, Agent Gin. When were you going to tell me that you were in the area?"

She said, quite angry that he hadn't notified her that he was coming. He stepped back from her, holding up his hands as a sign of surrender.

"Whoa there, chica. I didn't know I was coming until yesterday. Vodka caught wind of a threat to your person and Champ put me on a plane first thing."

Her eyebrows raised.

"What threat, Gin?"

She asked, and he sighed. He didn't want to bring it up, but he also hated keeping secrets from her.

"That sorry excuse of a man you used to date got out on parole. Vodka was out with his girl when he heard someone talking shit about you, and he heard the scumbag say that he was gonna find you and put the hurt on you real bad. When someone mentioned you'd been promoted, he said he'd come and find you, even here. Good ol' Vodka was quick on his feet and recorded it with his glasses so we have the proof if they catch him."

Caroline was knocked back on her heels. All she could think was that this was it. The other shoe had dropped and her happiness was over. Ever observant, especially when it came to the woman he loved, Harry noticed that she had started shaking and tried to comfort her, but she backed away from him. It wasn't until she bumped into Tequila behind her that she shook herself out of her stupor long enough to attempt to say something. Suddenly, her legs gave out from underneath her and she was crying. Harry, deciding he had waited long enough, fell to his knees beside her and pulled her into his arms. She grabbed onto them, clutching tightly to the man who would never hurt her, the one who would cherish and love her the way she deserved. She knew she never had to be afraid of him, but she did discover that she was afraid for him, which was an entirely new sensation.

When she had calmed down enough, Harry gently turned her tear-stained face to his, looking her in the eyes.

"Caroline, whatever it is, we'll get through it together. You're not alone, Caroline. You were then, but you aren't anymore."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. Harry took that as a sign that he was getting through to her. However, he did find that he had to ask her a question, one that he knew would fracture what little resolve she had managed to build up over the past few minutes. Merlin, seeing that he was thinking the same things as the other gentleman, rolled towards her in his chair.

"Scotch, I know this probably isn't the easiest thing in the world to talk about, but in order to be able to protect you, we need to know what we're protecting you from..."

He emphasized the last word and sighed when he saw her flinch. However, the look didn't last long and was replaced with what could only be described as resolved determination. She looked around at everyone and sighed, acknowledging that Merlin was right.

"Let's take this to the conference room. I want to include Champ on this call, and Eggsy too if you can reach him. I'd rather not have to say this twice if we can help it."

Harry nodded, proud of her for her strength. He stood up and offered her his hands, which she took with a smile.

"Thank you, love."

She whispered, and he squeezed her hands.

"Of course, little one."

He whispered back, thinking that despite her puffy eyes and red cheeks, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

She straightened her coat, feeling comforted by her shoulder holster underneath and the 9mm pistol it contained.

If she was going to wage war, at least she didn't have to do it alone.


	8. Someone to Watch Over Me

Harry could read her like a book. He didn't have to look too hard to see that despite her best efforts to hide it, his little one was exhausted, mentally and physically. The slight tremor in her hands, the pale color of her skin, and the ever-darkening bags under her eyes told him that right away that he needed to get her home. Everyone else seemed at least a little aware of what he had noticed, but only two of them would be able to talk her into it: Harry and Tequila. The former stepped up to her side and kissed her forehead.

"I'm so proud of you, love."

He whispered in her ear. He truly was. She had spent a large portion of the afternoon re-telling the horrors she had lived through before coming to Statesman, some details of which even the other Statesman agents had never heard before. She was quick to apologize for keeping the more grotesque aspects of her abuse from them, saying that she hadn't wanted to hurt them. But, as it turned out, she had.

Champ, in his anger, had thrown his tumbler of bourbon across the room, his hologram temporarily disappearing when he removed his glasses in order to compose himself.

Tequila had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves about five minutes in. The royal blue and red bracers he wore stood out in broad contrast against his crisp white shirt and navy blue pants. He was clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to keep his anger to a minimum. He, more than anyone, knew it wasn't her fault, but he wished he could get his hands on the son of a bitch who hurt her.

Gin was mad. He'd never understood how people could hurt others like that, and the fact that this innocent woman had been caught in the cross-hairs of a lunatic made him angrier than he cared to admit.

Harry's anger, however, manifested itself in a desire to protect her from this monster at all costs. She had been through more than he could ever have imagined, and the fact that a strong, loving, gentle, kind and hopeful woman stood in front of her was nothing short of a miracle he would cherish for as long as he lived.

Eggsy was shocked. Ginger Ale had given them a brief introduction, but she hadn't really gone into detail about what she had been through. He was so thankful for all she had done for his friend and mentor that he hadn't really investigated more. He hadn't had a reason to. As he listened to her story, his heart broke, and, like Harry, couldn't believe that the woman in front of them was as happy and strong as she was. Eggsy was reminded of his own mother, who, though she was happy enough in her new life, had never quite regained the spark he had known when he was small.

Merlin did what he always did: He listened with an unreadable expression on his face. She had told him some of this story the day before in an effort to demonstrate to him that life moves on, even when we don't know how or when it will happen. He was proud to know her and even prouder to call her his friend.

Caroline was incredible, and they all knew it now.

After the intense meeting was over, they all prepared to leave. Caroline was originally going to go with Tequila, but Harry wanted to be with her that night, and she couldn't find it within herself to argue. Tequila had promised to bring her suitcase to Harry's flat and hugged the small woman goodbye. She had clung to him for a minute, taking strength from him. He was her best friend, and she loved him dearly. Once she let go of Teq, she took Harry's hand and held it tightly, afraid that if she let it go, she'd find that this wasn't real. He looked down at her and squeezed her fingers, letting her know that he was there for her no matter what came next.

She was vaguely aware of Harry giving the cabby his address, and she was vaguely aware of Harry's extreme closeness to her. Normally it would have made her feel suffocated, but she was thankful for his desire to be close to her. She relished it more than she could describe. When they arrived at his address, she straightened up, determined to get in on her own strength. She was exhausted, but the cabby she was never going to see again didn't need to know that. She got out of the cab with her head held high, waiting for Harry to join her on the sidewalk before she started walking. He took her hand and gently led her to his door, careful not to make it seem like he was being a mother-hen. He wanted her to know he was there but didn't want to overpower her. That's what her bastard of an ex-boyfriend had done. He was determined to never be like him, not just for her sake. If he ever found that he was capable of what that monster had done, he didn't think he would find life worth living. He unlocked the door, ushering her in before closing and locking it behind him. His home was perfect now that she was in it. Hopefully, she would call it one of her homes one day soon. He was shaken from his reverie when her lips found him with a passion he had never experienced from her before. Her hands were resting on his chest, and as they kissed, his found their way to her waist, pulling her closer to him in his desire to let her know he wasn't leaving her. Eventually, despite their extensive training, they ran out of breath and pulled apart, her hands that had rested on his chest moving up to cradle his face lovingly.

"I wish you didn't have to hear all of that, Harry..."

He sighed and rested his hands on top of hers.

"I knew a little bit, just based on what I had heard from people at Statesman. I had always wondered if there was more to it than I had heard, and it breaks my heart to know that you suffered so greatly before you were saved. I owe Tequila a great deal, you see. For if he hadn't followed his gut and gone to save you that day, I would not know the most beautiful, kind, dedicated, loyal, bright, generous, giving and loving people to have ever walked the earth."

Her heart fluttered. To know that he thought of her like that...it made her heart melt. She leaned in and kissed the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, Harry...you make me feel like a queen when you talk like that..."

She whispered, and he smiled, sweeping her into his arms. He started dancing, whatever music was playing in his head the tune that guided his feet. Suddenly, she heard him singing quietly, and she tucked her head under his chin, listening to the beat of his heart and the smooth tone of his voice.

 _There's a somebody I'm longing to see_

I hope that she turns out to be

Someone who'll watch over me

I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood

I know I could always be good

To one who'll watch over me

She smiled, despite her exhaustion. Frank Sinatra was a favorite of hers, and she knew that Harry knew that. It was just one more way he made her fall in love with him. He continued to sing as he led her to the bedroom, easing her into a state of love and bliss she had never known before.

 _Although I may not be the man some_

 _Girls think of as handsome_

 _To her_ heart _, I'll carry the key_

 _Won't you tell her please to put on some speed_

 _Follow my lead, oh, how I need_

 _Someone to watch over me._

She knew he wouldn't take advantage of her. In fact, if her blissed-out mind figured correctly, he was doing the opposite. He was taking care of her. She felt it as he gently tugged her arms out of her jacket, tugged her pants off and replaced them with a pair of his pajama bottoms. He gently unbuttoned and removed her blouse, quickly pulling one of his old cardigans over her head to replace it. After all, this was done, he shifted her around on the bed so that she was leaning against his broad chest, her ear to his heart. She had never felt this kind of love before. He was so willing to put her first, and she was more thankful that she could say. He started whispering in her ear about how much he loved her, how proud of her he was, how what happened in the past didn't change his view of her. All of the sweet things he could think of, he whispered to her, letting her know that he wasn't leaving because he thought she was damaged.

For the first time all day, she didn't feel afraid to hear them. She wasn't afraid that he'd be ripped from her. If anyone could defend himself against the madman that was her ex-boyfriend, it was Harry. She wrapped her arms around his torso, holding him to her in a semi-tight embrace. She was so exhausted, but she was also happy. Happier than she had been in a long time.

Everything else could wait.


	9. Flash Forward: True Happiness

Sweet Caroline - Flash Forward

Harry Hart was happy.

Not your stereotypically obnoxious happiness, but he knew what he had and he was thrilled that he had it.

As he came out of his office, he heard the squealing of a small child and laughter of a Scotsman, telling him exactly who was here. When he entered the showroom, he smiled.

In Merlin's lap was his daughter Emily Rose, and standing against the wall with a baby boy, Lee Hamish, in her arms was Caroline, whom he was quick to approach and relieve of her chunky burden. He gently kissed her and smiled when she smiled at him.

"Hello, love."

He whispered as much to the baby as he did his wife. Caroline was quick to kiss him back, this time on the cheek.

"How're you today, Harry?"

She whispered back, and he chuckled at her tenderness.

"I'm well, thank you. How are you? Have the kids been rowdy?"

He asked, genuinely worried for his stalwart wife. She could do a lot, but one kid, let alone two could be hard to manage. Of course, he wasn't surprised when she looked at him and smiled.

"I'm good. They're good. Emmy wanted to stop by the shop today because it's Merlin's birthday and she's the only one who remembered. We stopped by his favorite shop and got him some treats. Whether or not he shares them is totally up to him."

Harry laughed. If his dear friend had one weakness, it was sugar.

"It's his birthday. He can keep them."

He felt his little boy wiggle in his arms and prepared himself for what might be coming. However, he was surprised when his sweet little boy simply opened his eyes and smiled at him, waving his hands around as if to say hello to his father that he hadn't seen in all of 4 hours. Harry gently took his baby fingers in his large ones, cooing at the baby and in awe of the softness of his skin.

"There's my godson!"

They heard from behind them and smiled when Eggsy came into view. He always looked amazing, but today he looked especially sharp.

"Why look at you, hot stuff! You had brunch with Tilde and her parents today, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Yes, I did. Nothing but the finest suit in the collection for that sordid affair."

Caroline didn't even want to ask, so she refrained, instead directing his attention to the baby in his mentor's arms.

"Hey, little Lee!"

Eggsy said and smiled when the little boy reached for his tie. Caroline was quick to intercede, taking the fine blue silk tie and wrapping it around to the back of Eggsy's neck.

"He may look cute, but don't let it fool you. He's a tie ruiner. Better to keep him off 'em if you can."

Eggsy looked to Caroline for more of an explanation. She sighed and pulled one of her husband's ties out of the stroller she'd brought with her. The first thing the younger man noticed was the hole on the end. The second thing he noticed was that it hung in two pieces like the seam had been ripped out.

"He's teething. As his teeth come in, he's looking for something to chew on. Harry was home with him one night and fell asleep with him on his chest. When I got home, this tie was ruined and Lee was asleep. Now we just let him chew on it. It soothes him well enough."

She said quickly, her embarrassment shining through the sentiment. Harry, however, was laughing. She glared at him, prompting him to explain himself before she decked him.

"That tie is my least favorite in the whole of my collection. I say let him have it and all others like it."

She rolled her eyes at him but smiled none the less. Over the years, she had seen him grow out of his stoic shell, created by years of isolating himself from the people he cared about in order to protect them from the nature of his work. His relationship with Caroline and the children that followed really opened him up to a world of possibilities he had never considered before: one with smiles and laughter and a family. One with people to come home to at the end of the day or the end of a mission. It was something they both didn't know they needed until it fell into their laps.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the door to the shop opened behind her. She turned her head and smiled and the man who entered. It was Champagne, who had just flown in to do a distillery survey at Kingsman. As lead distiller, she was responsible for the distillery's general upkeep and management, so, as she did every year, she invited Champ to tour the facilities. In addition to being a great spy, he had an eye for detail not rivaled anywhere in the world. It was also a good excuse to spend time with the man she considered a father, which was a plus she wouldn't take for granted. He was quick to approach her, smiling all the while.

"Caroline! It's good to see you, darlin'! Now, where's that little boy of yours? I didn't travel all this way to be deprived of him."

She laughed and took the baby from Harry and walked over to him, smiling as he squealed in excitement at seeing a new face.

"Champ, this is Lee."

Champ pushed his glasses up his nose and took a really good look at him before smiling hugely at her.

"Now I can say I met 'im first!"

He exclaimed, and Caroline rolled her eyes. The rest of the Statesman agents had been competing to see who could get to London first to see the precious little man, and Champ had won the battle. When Emily was born, Tequila had had an unfair advantage in that he had been with her when she had gone into labor. Harry had been out on a mission and had not made it back in time. This time around, Tequila was on a mission, so he had missed it. From that day forward, a gauntlet had been thrown down. Whoever got there first, got all the reward they needed: bragging rights. There weren't very many Statesman babies, so they took it very seriously. Champ reached behind him and grabbed a suitcase, which she could only assume was full of gifts from the others.

"The others didn't want to be left out, so they did ask that I bring you their gifts. First off, this is from Tequila. He made it himself for the little guy."

When Champ pulled the item out of the bag, she almost laughed. Almost. In her hand was a brown teddy bear, dressed in his own little double-breasted brown tweed suit with glasses, a bowler hat, and an umbrella. The note attached to his little foot, however, is what made it extra special.

 _Hey Scotch and Arthur,_

 _Sorry I missed it this time. You know how work can get. Anyways, I thought that exposing him to bespoke tailoring at a young age might be good for him. After all, with parents like you, he's destined to do something great. I've made sure to find the most durable material for him, just in case his want of something to chew on gets the best of him again._

 _Congratulations you two. If anyone deserves this kind of happiness, it's you._

 _Teq_

 _P.S. You can tell Merlin that I made sure to leave plenty of seam allowance in the jacket too. He always got onto me for that._

Caroline wiped the tears away from her eyes and passed the item to Harry so he could look at it. The gentleman handled it with the utmost care, looking it over to ensure that it was fit for his little son. After a moment of introspection, he turned the bear's little face towards his son, who was happy to have something to play with. Champ then passed her a tissue wrapped bundle.

"That's from Whiskey and Tonic. It's made of some new fabric they've been working on. It's designed to keep you warm even in the coldest of conditions. Apparently, they remember how easy you get cold and made a blanket out of it for ya."

She unwrapped the tissue and laughed when she saw the Kingsman Scotch emblem on the front. A little note fluttered to the floor, which Champ was quick to pick up.

 _Hey, Scotch!_

 _We thought you'd like this one better than the last one we tried to give you. Lesson learned: Camo is not an appropriate pattern if you want something to be used in an office._

 _This fabric is a hyper-insulator. It takes the body heat you produce and multiplies it so that you're always warm, no matter what. There's also a built-in heating element that's solar powered so it'll charge during the day when you aren't using it. We've included little ones for Lee and Emily too. Theirs are a bit more kid-friendly, but they work the same either way._

 _Congratulations, friends!_

 _Whiskey and Tonic_

When she opened the ones for the kids, she smiled. Little Emily's was red with white polka dots and her name embroidered on the corner as an unspoken tribute to her mother, while Lee's had a dragonfly on it with his name embroidered across the top in a tribute to his father. The two looked at each other and smiled, happy that they had friends who knew them well enough to design these things for them and their children. Not everyone cared to remember that Emily hated pink, but Whiskey did, and that made all the difference.

Speaking of Emily, no one had heard a peep out of her since before Champ had arrived. Harry was quick to scan the room for her, both delighted and humored when his eyes landed on her sleeping form in Eggsy's arms. It seemed she had exhausted her time with Merlin, who was really making an effort for the girl's sake. He did love her, but he was so used to being alone that he didn't know how to handle her for longer than an hour or two at a time. Eggsy, on the other hands, had long since taken a seat and was happy to hold her while she took her nap. There had been so many people in and out of the shop that she had exhausted herself, despite thinking she was too old for naps. Harry tapped his wife on the shoulder before she continued to open the gifts, pointing her in the direction of their sleeping child and reaching for her new blanket all at the same time. Caroline understood his plan immediately and placed it in his hands. As Harry approached, he couldn't help but laugh at his fortune. Sitting in front of him was two-thirds of his legacy. Eggsy, who was like a son to him in so many ways, whom he had plucked off the street and made into a Kingsman, and Emily, his sweet and unassuming little girl who had always been drawn to the younger man's fun sense of life, and who made it her mission in life to make people happy, especially when they seemingly had no reason to be.

Harry pondered all of this as he wrapped the blanket around her small shoulders. How had he been so magnificently blessed? He'd never know for certain, but he accepted it without hesitation. Then he looked over at Lee, his son by love and by blood. Named after the man he had failed, the man who had died because of his oversight, the man who had fathered the brilliant young man holding his daughter right now. In hindsight, he owed the man so much. If he had never met Lee Unwin, he'd have never met Eggsy. If he had never met Eggsy, he'd have never met Caroline. And if he hadn't met Caroline...he didn't like to think about it. He'd be alone, is what he'd be, and that was the last thing he wanted. He was broken out of his reverie by his wife, who came over and placed something in his hand.

"It's from Vodka. The note on top said that only you could open it."

She said and prompted him to look down at his hands. It was a non-descript looking parcel, but he had a feeling it held something extraordinary. If he had learned anything about the Statesman over the years, it was that they could be unassuming, but they had a flair that couldn't be denied. He gently pulled the bow, letting the silk ribbon fall through his fingers and hit the floor. He rotated the package in his hands, gently pulling up the tape that held the paper in place. He recognized it as the back of a picture frame and when he flipped it over, he felt like he'd had the air knocked out of his lungs. It was his favorite picture of Caroline, one that had been taken by Vodka himself when she had been pregnant with Emily.

 _They had been walking around the Kingsman distillery. Caroline, taking great pride in what she had been able to build since she arrived, took Vodka though every building and every part of the process, talking them both through the intricacies of distilling they had never considered. Harry had been there many a time, representing the tailor's shop, but Vodka had never seen it before. It was beautiful, situated right on the coast of the island and surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes he had ever seen. He almost wanted to move here to help out but he knew Champ wouldn't let him. He was needed in New York._

 _Lost in his reverie, he almost missed it when Harry stepped in front of his little wife and held out his hands for her to take, in an effort to ensure her safe descent down the slope in front of them._

" _I'll be your eye if you're my legs, Harry"_

 _She said with a smile. Vodka chuckled and stuck close behind her, just in case a loss of balance sent her backward instead of forwards. Once they were down the hill, Harry pivoted around her with what can only be described as practiced ease and pulled her into his side. Caroline rested her head against his shoulder, gently whispering something in his ear. The smile he gave her back was radiant, and when Caroline turned to look up at him, he took a picture with the camera he'd been carrying, trying to play it off as him taking a picture of the landscape for his own records._

 _When Vodka got Harry alone that evening, he showed him the picture, smiling all the while._

 _"Did you know it took her almost 2 years to start talking to us agents like we weren't going to get mad at her every time she opened her mouth? That sorry excuse of a boyfriend had her thinking no one cared about what she had to say. But when I look at her now, leading and managing a whole distillery pretty much by herself, with you at her back? I've never seen her so happy, Arthur, and despite everything it took for you guys to get here, I couldn't be happier for you. You keep takin' care of her and you and I will always be friends."_

 _Harry turned and poured two glasses of scotch. Handing one to the agent across from him, he smiled._

 _"Here's to friendship, then."_

 _He said, and the southerner smiled back._

 _"I'll drink to that."_

Harry smiled at the memory it conjured and held it out for his wife to look at.

"Well, look at that! Where'd he get that from?"

She asked, and he chuckled.

"Remember his first visit to the distillery?"

She nodded, intrigued.

"We'd just come around the back of the still house, where it gets steep right before the cliffs. It was right after you told me we were having a little girl, and he took it when we weren't looking."

She gently ran her fingers over the image. She would definitely have to send him a bottle of Kingsman reserve as a thank you for sharing the beautiful moment with them. Harry smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head as he did so.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll be keeping this on my desk."

He said, and she nodded.

"Of course! I'll see if he's willing to send me a copy for mine."

Champagne, who had been watching the whole exchange, grabbed the last parcel from the case and stood up. Walking over to Caroline, he placed it in her hands.

"These are from me, Birdy."

Caroline looked at Champ like he'd grown a second head.

"Champ...you didn't have to."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Of course I didn't have to. I wanted to. There's a difference. Now open the damn box!"

What she saw when she removed the lid warmed her heart. Resting inside was a set of crystal glasses, each one etched with a monogram. Each one represented a different member of her family. CHE for her, HHJ for Harry, EHR for Emily and LHH for Lee. She knew the reason behind this purchase, but looked up at Champ, anxious to hear him say it out loud.

"It's a tradition in my family. We've been Statesman as far back as Statesman has existed, and every good Statesman has exceptional glassware for their spirits. Waterford has been my families crystal of choice for generations."

She was quick to pass the box to Harry, anxious to hug her friend and mentor. She unceremoniously threw her arms around his neck and held on tight.

"Thank you, Champ. They're beautiful."

He wiggled out of her grip, taking her by the shoulders and looking her in the eye.

"No, Caroline. Thank you. Ever since you came to Statesman, I've seen nothing but the best from you. And not just as an agent, but on all fronts. Your work as Tonic was revolutionary, and your work as Scotch is unparalleled. You've blossomed, and I'm so glad that I got to and continue to get to play a role in that. These are the least I can give you for all that you've given me."

She wiped away her tears, touched by the fact that he had thought of her and her family. She would never be able to thank him for everything he had done and continued to do for her. Without him, she wouldn't be the person she was today, and she owed him more than she could say. She tried to say something, anything really to express the depth of her love for the man, but he just smiled and took her hands.

"Caroline, I know. I've always known. I love you too, kiddo."

She hugged him again but was quickly pulled from the embrace by the sound of her hungry baby crying out for food. She looked at Harry, who had quickly picked him up from the stroller, and smiled when she noticed he already had the situation under control and right at hand. Eggsy noticed too, attempting, but ultimately failing to suppress a snicker. Harry looked over at the younger man, perplexed by the sound. Eggsy just shot him a shit-eating grin.

"Oh come on, Harry! Never in my life did I think I'd see you swaddling a baby, and here you are! Not just one baby, but two!"

He looked down at his son and shrugged. Looking from Caroline to Lee to Emily and then back to Eggsy, he smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Galahad."

He wouldn't, and he would never have to. His world was perfect just the way it was.


	10. Calm Before the Storm

The next morning found the two of them wrapped up in each other's arms. Caroline was the first to open her eyes, momentarily unaware of where she was. However, once the underside of his chin came into view, she snuggled further into him.

"Good morning, love."

He whispered into her hair. She responded by kissing his Adam's apple and sitting up a little bit so she could see him. She was surprised to discover that, besides taking off his jacket, he had not changed his clothes. When she raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment, he smiled.

"You fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake you. I have to take this suit to the cleaner anyway. It's truly not a problem if it means you get the rest you need."

She chuckled, looking at herself in his oversized clothes.

"I take it Tequila never got here with my suitcase?"

Harry chuckled, seeing fully what she wearing for the first time. He ran his hand through her hair and smiled at her.

"I do believe you were falling asleep standing up when we arrived here last night. I took it upon myself to make you as comfortable as possible. I never heard the buzzer, and only Merlin has a key, so I don't think he came."

Caroline rolled her eyes at him, laughing when he looked at her funny.

"Harry, Tequila is a spy. He knows more than a little bit about picking locks. He taught me everything I know."

The Englishman had the good sense to look perplexed. She smiled, kissing him on the nose and then patting him on the cheek.

"There's only one way to find out which one of us is right."

She said, and tore out of the room, leaving Harry to catch up. He heard her laughter down in the kitchen, then a shriek, which caused him to run down the stairs.

"Caroline? Caroline!"

He asked, trying not to panic. What he found when he got down the stairs made him smile and frown in equal measure.

It was Caroline, who had very obviously forgotten that he had a dog. Said dog, Peanut as the then Ginger-Ale and Tonic had named him, was hiding under the dining room table, cowering away from her. For Peanut, that was rare. He loved meeting new people. She was trying to coax him out, but he wouldn't budge. Harry was quick to put an end to the game by whistling sharply, a sign that Peanut knew meant that he was to come and sit by his master's side. Ever eager to please, Peanut did just that. Caroline, who hadn't even noticed that Harry was there, startled and slammed her head on the bottom of the table.

"Ouch..."

She mumbled to herself, trying not to grouse, but still upset as she rubbed the back of her head. He chuckled, reaching out to take her hand. When he took it, he tugged her to him, kissing the spot where she'd hit her head.

"I'm sorry I frightened you, my dear."

He whispered. She chuckled.

"Not a problem, love."

She bent down and offered her hand for Peanut to sniff, rolling her eyes when he lifted his paw and, resting it on her wrist, pulled it towards him. Looking up at Harry, she chuckled.

"I think I may have scared him. Where was he last night?"

She said, and Harry chuckled.

"I would assume so. He's quite the independent little fellow. He was probably asleep on his bed in my office. It's his favorite spot, right at the foot of my desk."

She laughed.

"Just like his owner, I see. Come here, Peanut..."

She gently tucked her hands under the dog's belly, smiling when he let her pick him up. She nuzzled her face into the dog's neck, giggling when he started giving her kisses. She spent a few minutes holding the small dog, her human love falling into the background for a few minutes. Eventually, however, she put the dog down, deciding that the put-off look on Harry's face warranted it. As she watched the dog putter off, Harry wrapped her in his arms from behind.

"I was beginning to think you might like him more than me."

She turned in his arms, making sure to look him in the eye.

"More than you? Peanut's cute and all, but he's nowhere near as smart, or as kind, or as generous, or as hard-working, or as dashing, or as good or as..."

She was cut off by his kiss, which she really didn't mind. When he was done, he pulled her to him, tucking her head under his chin.

"You spoil me with your compliments, love."

She laughed, tilting her head up and kissing his cheek. She took his hands and smiled at him.

"Well, if anyone deserves them, it's you."

Harry blushed, and she couldn't help but smile at him. Their moment was interrupted when they heard the click of a door opening behind them. He instinctively pushed her behind him, willing and able to protect her if necessary. When they saw a navy blue suitcase roll into the entryway, Caroline relaxed a bit, recognizing the luggage as hers. She relaxed even more when the door simply closed behind the mystery visitor. Looking at Caroline, Harry slowly moved into the foyer, looking the suitcase over for anything peculiar. The only thing he found was a note from Tequila.

 _You should really change your locks. - F/T_

Harry chuckled, the tension he had felt leaving him immediately. He plucked the note off the suitcase and walked back to Caroline.

"Well, it looks like we were both right, love."

He said, showing her the note. She rolled her eyes.

"Damn, my boys need to learn some common sense. Gin coulda called, Teq shoulda called. Next thing I know, Champ's gonna show up here without calling and I'll lose my mind."

He couldn't help but laugh. One of the most endearing things about her was the way that she mumbled under her breath when she was frustrated or upset. He himself had never been chastised by her in that way, but he always smiled when she did it. He couldn't help but be happy around her. Everything about her made him better, and the very thought of not having her in his life shook him to his core. He couldn't help but think about what Gin had said yesterday. If this was a genuine threat, Caroline was in more danger than he cared to admit, but he was ready to do whatever it took to protect her. She was everything to him. He absently admired her as she efficiently moved through his kitchen, seeming to intuitively know where he kept things. She was precise, taking only what she needed to make them breakfast, showing no signs of the fear she had felt just moments before. He stepped up next to her, intending to ask if she needed help, and not surprised to see that she was already almost finished making their meal, perfectly steeped tea included. When she noticed the look he was giving her, she smiled.

"Don't look so impressed. I couldn't sleep for a little bit last night and did some exploring."

Harry chuckled, both amused by the fact that she got out of bed without waking him, and concerned by the fact that she had not been able to sleep, even if it was for only a portion of the night. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he looked her in the eye, his concern for her front and center despite trying to hide it.

"Is everything ok, Caroline? Why didn't you wake me up if you were having trouble sleeping?"

He asked and she rolled her eyes, resting her hands on top of his on her shoulders.

"You shouldn't have to pay the price for my nightmares, Harry. I usually don't have them when you're around but yesterday...it brought it all back up again."

He nodded, knowing exactly how she felt and what she meant. In the weeks they had been apart, his dreams had been riddled with Richmond Valentine and what he had done because of him. There was something stabilizing about her presence, but even that didn't always keep the bad dreams at bay. He was quick to pull her into his arms, holding her close.

"I understand love. I do. Being here without you was the hardest thing for me, but we're together now. No nightmares are going to change that. If you wake up in the middle of the night, don't be afraid to wake me up. I want you to wake me up. We can at least do that for each other, right?"

She sighed and nuzzled into his chest, her heart warm at the thoughtfulness of the man she loved. They seemed such an unlikely pair, but they were together, and nothing would tear them apart. Not amnesia, not crazy ex-boyfriends. Nothing.

Hellfire would rain on anyone or anything that tried.


	11. Storm Warning

Days passed, and the unlikely duo spent every moment they could together. They were caught up in a whirlwind of love and work and affection that they didn't even realize when they day came that Caroline had to leave for Scotland. Harry had taken her out for breakfast that morning, continuing to spoil her. They were at a café right on Saville Row, enjoying themselves greatly when her phone rang. She reached into the pocket of her dark wash jeans and looked down, smiling when she saw Whiskey's number. She answered it and held it to her ear.

"Good morning, Whiskey...very well, thank you...what?...ok, pass that onto Merlin..."

Looking up at Harry, she sighed.

"Thanks for the heads up, Whiskey. Tell Champ I'll be there tomorrow...I'll bring Gin with me...and maybe G2 if they can spare him...ok...talk to you soon...bye."

She put the phone back in her pocket and ran her hands over her face. Her eyes immediately watered, fear and anxiety vying for the primary spot in the forefront of her mind. Harry noticed this immediately and moved to comfort her. She didn't let him touch her though, which made him realize that this was much worse than he knew. She looked at him. She really looked at him. Could it be that this could be over so soon? Would she lose the best thing that ever happened to her because of the worst thing that ever happened to her? She noticed the concerned look on his face and decided to read him in on what she had just been told.

"That was Whiskey...They lost track of him...they know he violated his parole and left Kentucky but they don't know where he went. Champ said that he wanted Gin and me to head to the distillery in Islay to familiarize myself with what's going on there. He said he was afraid that Colt is coming here to get to me like Vodka overheard, so he wants to make sure there are as many eyes on me as possible. He's even going to send some of the lower level agents over. He said to expect Sazerac, Old Fashioned and Julep by the end of the week and Margarita and Highball the week after that. They'll be working on the bottling line. It seems no one's taking any chances. They all saw...they all know what happened last time...I can't believe he could be coming here, Harry. You have to be careful. If he knows about you, you're a target."

The stalwart Englishman looked at her, trying to figure out what she meant. She sighed and continued speaking.

"When we were together, he worked at Statesman. Civilian side, of course, but he still worked there. Anyone with eyes around that place saw us together at least once, and if he thought to ask and someone told him, he'll find you if he thinks hurting you will draw me out. Of course, there's more to Kingsman than just the distillery. He probably would start there, though. It's an easy place to get lost in. There are several hundred employees there on a daily basis..."

She was rambling, which Harry knew was a nervous tick of hers. He patiently listened to her voice all of her concerns before he took his hand and rested it on top of hers on the table. She looked at him with wide eyes, recognizing the gesture for what it was.

"I'll always protect you, Caroline. Even though I know you can protect yourself, I'll protect you. I'll always be the last line of defense between you and anyone who wants to hurt you. I'll talk to Merlin, see if I can be spared for a few days. I think Whiskey may have forgotten that Eggsy is still on his honeymoon and requested that we not interrupt him."

She nodded, relaxing a bit as Harry's words sunk in. Of course, he would. He was nothing if dedicated to the people he cared about, He'd been a stalwart presence by Merlin's bedside in the days after Cambodia, only leaving to shower, change his clothes and spend time with her, which, more often than not, was spent tending to Merlin. She learned a lot about him in those days, how particular he was about his suits being meticulously maintained, how fussy he could get when he was worried or afraid, and most importantly, the lengths he would go to to protect the ones he held most dear. She would be fine.

She just had to remind herself of it every so often.

The next day found her, Gin, Harry and Tequila on the way to the distillery. Vodka, who had flown back from Kentucky to see to her transportation, was in quite the mood when he arrived. Caroline, who knew him better than most, pulled him aside.

"Hey Vodka, what's going on? You look impressively put together for someone in such a foul mood."

The tall southerner was not surprised that she had noticed. He took his hat off and ran a hand through his short hair. Out of all of the agents, he was the most affected by what had happened to Caroline. Before he came to work at Statesman, his sister had been in a relationship with an abusive monster who, in a drunken rage, beat her to death. He hadn't been able to save his sister, but once he had heard about Caroline, he jumped into action, following Tequila into an unknown situation for just the chance to save her. It felt like redemption when he pulled the monster off of her prone form and beat the shit out of him. Since that day, he had been Caroline's most valiant defender, acting behind the scenes in ways she would never know just to make sure she was alright. Knowing now that the man he had saved her from was out and looking to make moves against her made him more than a little bit angry. He was livid, and he thought he had been doing a good job of hiding it. Apparently, however, he underestimated Caroline. She was like a hound dog, seeking out people who were angry or sad or hurt and not stopping until she made them feel better. He looked her in the eye, trying not to take out his frustrations on her. She didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry, Scotch. I've just been frustrated..."

She sighed, pulling the burly man into her arms.

"I know this has to be hard for you, Vodka...but I'm not alone this time. I've got so many people looking out for me, Champ is sending 5 junior agents to keep an eye on me, much to the chagrin of Ginger-Ale and Vermouth. Gin's been temporarily reassigned, Harry has too. They're all going to make sure I'm alright."

She pulled away from him, looking him in the eye.

"And you know what else I have?"

She said, smiling at him. He shook his head no, not sure where she was taking this part of the conversation. Taking his hand, she smiled at him, making his anger dissipate almost completely.

"I have you, Vodka. Which is more than a lot of people can say. You've always been there for me, always helped me, always supported me, even though at first it was from a distance. You may have thought you were being discrete, but I know, Vodka. I've always known and I am so thankful for you. Emma's a lucky woman, and I am too. We're all pretty lucky to know you."

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

That was all he could think. He turned away from her, attempting to go to the cockpit, but she stopped him again, turning him around to face her.

"You don't have to run from me, Vodka. I know it hurts you because you couldn't save your sister. But you did save me, and I'm going to spend every day of my life paying you back for it."

She said resolutely, startling the man. He steeled himself, looking her in the eye.

"You better."

It was all he could say, and he hoped she would understand. The smile she wore indicated that she did.

This time when he turned away, she let him go, turning back to the elaborate seating area. As she walked back, she looked around her. She was surrounded by some of the best spies the world had to offer, and they were all gathered here because of her. She truly believed that what she had just told Vodka was true. If Colt got through all of these people, plus the 5 more that were coming, he was much more formidable than she remembered. She steeled herself, forcing herself to forget the pain of the past and work towards a better future. When she looked around and saw her friends and the man she loved smiling at her, there was nothing that she couldn't face.

Whatever happened next, she was ready.


	12. Let's Get Started

Islay was beautiful. Caroline was blown away by the beauty of her new home, and thrilled that she got to be a part of building the Statesman presence on the island. They were officially a global organization, and she couldn't be happier. She was especially pleased when she looked to the seat beside her and saw Harry. They had been driving for a few hours, leaving the sprawling metropolis of Glasgow behind them and getting closer and closer to their destination with each passing minute. She reached over to take his hand and smiled when he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"We're almost there, love..."

He whispered, and she felt her excitement flutter in her chest. She squeezed his hand, smiling up at him.

"I know. I can't wait, Harry. There's so much I can do here, and it doesn't hurt that I'm closer to you than I ever thought I would be."

He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"That is a perk I also was not expecting."

Suddenly, Caroline's glasses vibrated in her lap. She quickly moved to put them on, smiling when she saw Champ's silhouette in front of her.

"Hey, there darlin'. You ready to get started?"

He asked, and she smiled, shaking her head in assent.

"Yeah, I am. Can't wait to get there and hit the ground running."

She noticed that his face fell a little bit, and she realized the real reason he was calling. She swallowed, squeezing Harry's hand.

"Champ...you don't think he'll come here, do you?"

She rolled her eyes when he chuckled at her.

"If I thought he wouldn't come after you, Vodka would be flying back to Louisville right now. Gin would be back in New York, and Ginger-Ale's cocktails would be staying right where they are. However, they are not. They're coming to you because I think you're in danger, and they will stay until I know you aren't. Do you understand, Caroline?"

She swallowed hard, his stern tone leaving no room for argument. Looking to Harry, she said the only thing her gruff superior wouldn't argue with.

"Yes, sir."

Champ then began drawling on about this and that. She'd be a bald-faced liar if she said she was paying any attention to what he was saying, though. She had been sucked down a rabbit hole of bad memories.

 _She had just gotten home from a long night of work. Slinging drinks at the local bar was not her ideal job, but she needed to keep at it if she had any hope of paying for medical school. She unlocked the door and was surprised to find that her boyfriend was still awake. He usually didn't wait up for her. She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him from behind, pulling him back into her chest._

 _"Hey, baby..."_

 _She said, enjoying the familiarity of his body in her arms. His response was not what she expected. Without any notice, he took her by the wrist, spun her around in front of him and slammed her against the wall. She could smell the whiskey he drank that night on his breath, and she mentally prepared herself for whatever came next. He leaned down, essentially nose to nose with her and snarled in her face._

 _"You really thought I wouldn't find out?"_

 _He said, and she had no idea what he was talking about._

 _"Colt, I don't know what you're on about. I went to work and came home, just like normal."_

 _He chuckled, the stink of the alcohol on his breath making her choke._

 _"Oh please...I know you've been flirting with the distillery manager when he shows up at the bar. I ain't stupid."_

 _She almost laughed but realized that that would do absolutely nothing to improve her situation._

 _"Seriously, Colt? He's sweet on one of my co-workers and every time we've ever spoken, it was to talk about how he could get her to date him. He knows I'm off the market. Hell, everyone within a 45-mile radius of here knows that."_

 _She said, trying to appease him. She wasn't lying, but would it penetrate through the fog of his drunkenness?_

 _She found out almost immediately that the answer was no. Suddenly and without warning, his fist slammed into her ribs, knocking the wind out of her lungs and slamming her even harder against the wall._

 _"Liar! Smithson saw it with his own eyes!"_

 _She cringed inwardly at the name. Smithson was the bottling manager at the Statesman Distillery and he was the meanest drunk around If Smithson was telling him something and Colt believed it, he was even dumber than she thought. His hits kept raining down until she had no choice but to slide down the wall to protect herself. It didn't stop him from swinging at the wall, however, as she felt pieces of plaster falling into her hair. Abruptly, he stepped back from the wall, almost as if the haze of his drunkenness left him so he could see what he had done._

 _"Oh no...Caroline..."_

 _He said, leaning down to try and look at her. She was afraid, fight or flight having kicked in a long while ago. It hadn't worn off and when she touched him, she slapped his hand away. The look on his face almost had her believing he regretted his actions._

 _"Oh, baby girl. I'm so sorry. Please, let me help you."_

 _She shook her head no, trying to stand up and move away from him, but he was so broad that he blocked her only escape route, leaving her no choice but to accept his help. He grabbed her wrist and held on tightly as he brushed the plaster out of her hair._

 _"I'm a jealous fool, Caroline..."_

 _He whispered as he ran his finger over her bottom lip. He wasn't wrong about that, she thought. Eventually, the tender moment came to an end. Colt looked around the room, seeing the gaping hole in the wall and all the plaster that had hit the floor as a result. Looking to Caroline, his eyes narrowed and he pointed to the broom behind her._

 _"Clean it up."_

 _He said as he turned away and sauntered into the bedroom. As always, she did what he asked._

She was shaken from her sad memories by the sound of Merlin's eager voice in her ear.

"Agent Scotch, are you there?"

He said, and she chuckled.

"Yes Merlin, I'm here. What can I do for you?"

She asked. She was unique in that she was the only Statesman agent patched into the Kingsman system. Her relationship with the surviving members of the fledgling agency apparently granted her the privilege, and she was glad for it. Ginger-Ale was great, but Merlin was much better. The Scotsman spoke up.

"I've traced the signal for a pair of Kingsman issue glasses belonging to an agent we believed to be dead to the distillery. The signal is labeled Morgana."

She had heard about Morgana. Merlin's second in command and something a little bit more if Eggsy was to be believed.

"Send me her photo and I'll keep an eye out for her. Any aliases I should be aware of? She could be hiding out as an employee."

Merlin chuckled.

"Yes. She has a few. Emily Harrison, Regina Morgan, and Pauline Schriver. If she were to use any, however, I believe she would use Emily in this instance. It's more discreet."

She shook her head in assent.

"Should I read in Agent Galahad on this side mission of yours, Merlin?"

The Scotsman said no.

"I read him in first. He knows to keep an eye out, as do the rest of your contingent."

She smiled, despite her nerves. Merlin was a man who was very good at his job, and that simple fact made her life much easier. They fell into a companionable silence until Vodka's southern drawl announced that they were approaching the distillery.

"You ready to get started Agent Scotch?"

He asked, and she detected more than a little bit of pride in his voice. She smiled, even though she knew he couldn't see it, and looked into the face of the love of her life, who was sitting beside her. Squeezing his hand, she answered the man's question.

"More than, Agent Vodka. Let's get going."

Vodka pulled the car to a stop outside the distillery, got out and opened the door for her. With her best friend in front of her and the love of her life behind her, she was ready to face anything. She looked quite the character in her dark wash jeans, canvas work shirt, and ponytail, but no one who could see them was complaining, so she took it as a good sign.

Nothing would stop her now.

* * *

 **You'd better believe that Merlin is getting some love in this story. More on that to come soon. - KLM**


	13. Adventure Awaits

Emily was about as uninteresting as they came. She went to work and went home. Trying to get her to go out was like pulling teeth, and getting her to go on dates was impossible. People started assuming it's because she was a lesbian, but when the girls started asking, she rebuffed them even harder.

The truth was, she had eyes for only one person, and he was probably dead. Her new colleagues didn't need to know that, so they gave her the distance she required and let her do her own thing. Right now, her thing was observing the group of newcomers, one of whom was to be the new master distiller, Caroline Richardson. The second was wearing a lived-in pair of jeans, and a worn out ball cap, looking around as if he thought there might be trouble. The third was the one who took her breath away. She'd recognize the cut of that suit anywhere. She had actually tailored the one he was wearing.

Harry Hart!

Her brain yelled at her, loudly and abruptly. Every bone in her body wanted to walk towards him, but she stopped short when she noticed that Caroline was walking towards her. She fought the urge to run with every fiber of her being, instead of turning to her and smiling. When the redhead stopped in front of her, she held out her hand.

"You're the distribution lead. Emily Harrison, right?"

Emily had the good sense to blush. How did this woman know who she was already? Sensing her apprehension, Caroline smiled at her.

"Hamish told me I'd like working with you. I hope he's right."

Her head whipped up, her eyes meeting the other woman's as if to confirm that what she was saying was true. She'd been praying for this moment, some proof that her love was alive, and she'd gotten it in the form of a red-headed American woman she had never met in her life. She smiled despite herself.

"Hamish told you that, did he? I guess he would know. Is he around?"

She asked, apprehensive to say the least. Caroline chuckled and shook her head no.

"No. He couldn't make the journey, I'm afraid. He sends his regards, however, and hopes you're doing well."

To anyone else, it sounded like the person they were talking about was some sort of great-uncle, but both women knew better. For one, it was the realization of a year and a half of prayer and hope, something she was not usually inclined to. For the other, it was the fulfillment of a hope that her friend wouldn't be alone anymore. For the both of them, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Caroline chuckled and looked at the people around her.

"All department heads, front, and center. I've met Emily, but have yet to meet Colm, Donal, Ryan, and Denis."

Slowly, the four men in question stepped into the middle of the room. Caroline noticed their apprehension and laughed.

"Come on, fellas! If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it by now. Front and center, all of you."

Emily laughed, and the four men scowled at her. When they were finally in front of her, Caroline extended her hand to them, shaking each one.

"Colm, Rack House manager."

She moved onto Donal.

"Donal, Operations manager."

Then onto Ryan.

"Ryan, Head of marketing."

And then on to Denis.

"Denis, Distillery manager."

They were surprised by her spunk, but happy they seemed to have gotten a master distiller what cared about everyone. She blinded them with her smile and turned to the men she walked in with.

"Thomas, Matthew! Come here! These people should know who you are if you're gonna be around for a while."

The men approached her confidently, and she introduced them.

"This is Thomas Henderson. He'll be working with Emily on the bottling line. Treat him with the same respect you give her and we'll all be on good terms."

Turning to Harry, She smiled. Emily noticed it immediately when he smiled back.

"This is Matthew DeVere. He works out of the Kingsman tailor shop in London and will be our in-house brand advisor for the next few months. He'll be working closely with you, Ryan. I hope you don't mind."

Ryan smiled, looking excited about the opportunity.

"No, ma'am. I'm looking forward to it."

Caroline laughed, happy that it had gone so well.

"Well, folks...let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Caroline Richardson. Before I was a master distiller here at Kingsman, I was a distilling lead at Statesman. I was responsible for mostly fermenting, but the CEO thought I had more to offer than just that. He put me through the training to become a master distiller and here we are. I've got a lot to offer, but also know I have a lot to learn. Bourbon and Scotch are two totally different animals, and while I've learned a lot, I've got a long way to go."

Turning to Emily, she smiled.

"I'm gonna meet with all the section managers one on one today and tomorrow at some point. Starting with Emily."

The blonde woman was perplexed, but shook her head and followed her as she turned to leave. She noticed the look that Harry was giving her and smiled at him. Their reunion could wait, of course, until they were in the office, but once they got there, it was as if nothing had ever changed.

Harry, who had been anxiously wringing his hands behind his back as he walked, looked over at the blonde woman as soon as Caroline's office door was closed behind them. Aside from the obvious scarring on her face and neck, she looked the same. From blonde hair to blue eyes to perfectly manicured fingers, the past year and a half may as well have not happened. Before he knew it, Harry had the woman he considered a little sister in his arms.

"Oh, Emily..."

He whispered, and she smiled into his neck.

"Harry...we thought we lost you."

She said, reliving that sad day in her mind. She had been in her flat, watching the feed. Merlin had sent her home, claiming that she had been working too hard. She viewed Harry as a big brother figure and wasn't planning on any rest of any kind until he came home to them like he always did.

Except for that day. That day, he was dead and there was nothing she could do about it. Emily, who was not prone to fits of emotion, cried herself to sleep, bemoaning the unfairness of it all and hating herself for not being there when he needed her. She didn't come into Kingsman headquarters again until almost a week later when Merlin came to her flat, forced her into the shower, got her dressed and dragged her with him to work. She had been very bitter those few months until she decided to put all of her efforts into protecting the Kingsman agents that were left instead of mourning the one that wasn't. She shook herself from those thoughts, reminding herself that he was right in front of her, and aside from the missing eye, he was fully healthy.

He pulled away from her embrace, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him. She had been at the Kingsman estate the night it was obliterated, and they had believed up until that point that no one had survived. He decided immediately to patch himself through to Merlin, the man anxiously awaiting news on her condition. He double tapped the side of his glasses, getting Merlin's immediate attention.

"Galahad, what can I do for you?"

He asked, ever the professional. Harry activated the camera on his glasses and looked up, showing the Scotsman everything he needed to see.

"Put her on..."

Was all Merlin could say before Harry took off his glasses and held them out for Emily to take. She took them almost reverently and put them on her face. One lens was filled up entirely with his face, having changed the interface to reflect Harry's one eyed status. She covered her mouth, shocked at the sight. He was alive. Merlin was alive and she could see him and hear him. He seemed to be just as shocked, and neither of them could speak at first. After a few moments of stunned silence, Merlin spoke up.

"Emily..."

He whispered, and she smiled despite her sadness.

"Hi..."

She whispered back. The others had since moved to the other side of the room, Harry pulling his black eye patch out of his pocket in the meantime. Emily honestly was having a hard time believing he was there until she remembered.

"Your address wasn't in the system..."

She said as if she was struck by the realization of it in that moment. He chuckled, and the sound brought tears to her eyes.

"No, it wasn't. I was out at the pub around the corner from my condo when the attacks took place. The servers were destroyed when the shop was blown up and I couldn't figure out who was still alive. We didn't find any remains at the estate so we assumed you were all dead..."

Of course, they did. They hadn't left anything behind. She had to tell him.

"Merlin...I'm not the only one."

Harry looked at her like she had grown a second head. The sharp inhale she heard on the other line startled her just a little bit.

"Who else, Morgana?"

He asked sharply, work Merlin kicking in. She cleared her throat, trying to achieve the same sort of attitude.

"Lancelot, Bedivere, Robin, Gawain, and Guinevere."

Merlin was typing furiously, trying to pull up the coordinates on their glasses. She laughed when he grunted, frustrated that he couldn't pinpoint them.

"I'm going to stop you there, Merlin. They're all here."

Suddenly, all the signals came online at once, and Merlin smiled.

"There they are!"

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the office door, and Emily smiled. Looking at Harry, she nodded towards the door.

"Are you going to answer that?"

She asked, and Harry moved into action. Looking out the window by the side of the door, he saw 5 heads; two female, three male. 2 brunettes, 2 blondes, 1 redhead. He pulled the door open and was promptly met by 5 sets of eyes, all looking at him. Emily, who had known they would be there, walked over and pulled Harry out of the way, leaving room for the others to walk in. As each one entered through the doorway, the pulled their Kingsman glasses from their pockets and put them on, one of the gentlemen passing Emily her own pair, which prompted her to give Harry back his, sensing his discomfort at having his grisly looking scar on display. Suddenly, Merlin was overwhelmed with information, 6 different viewpoints of the same situation. He decided to focus on Lancelot's. Her's was the most steady. Handshakes and hugs were exchanged, introductions were made and Merlin was already making plans for the 5 agents to return to London for a debrief. The only one who seemed to have a problem with that was Emily herself.

"Merl...I can't just leave for no reason."

Caroline was quick to step in.

"We can stage it as a trip to the shop for all of the department heads. If they're to represent the Kingsman brand, they need to understand the Kingsman brand. I noticed that all of you strategically placed yourselves in the different divisions. You work in marketing."

She said, pointing to Agent Bedivere.

"You work in operations."

She said as she turned to face Agent Lancelot.

"You work in distribution with Emily."

She said, smiling at Agent Robin.

"You work in the rack house."

She said, turning to Agent Guenivere.

"And you, Agent Gawain, work as a distiller. I recognize your face from the files I received from Champ when I got this job."

Harry smiled at her, and she sighed.

"That's right...you don't know who Champ is. Pop quiz: What distillery just bought this one and rebranded it?"

Lancelot spoke up.

"The Statesman distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Why does that matter?"

Caroline laughed.

"It matters because we're your sister organization. After you were decimated, the doomsday protocol kicked in. Merlin and Galahad enacted it and it led them to us."

Emily sighed, realizing that by Galahad, she meant Eggsy. Caroline continued.

"We found Harry after the accident. Statesman has developed a technology that saves people with severe head trauma. When Valentine shot Harry in the eye, we got to him in time and used it to save his life."

Harry smiled down at the shorter woman, something that the others in the room noticed.

"It was hard at the beginning, but once Merlin and Eggsy showed up and I got my memories back, everything fell into place. We're the ones who stopped Poppy Adams."

Emily looked over at the woman who had saved Harry's life. Suddenly and without warning, she threw her arms around her, trying to communicate without words how thankful she was for everything. Agent Gin, who had been standing in the back until that moment, stepped forward.

"We look forward to working with you all to rebuild the Kingsman. Merlin must be thrilled that now he only has to replace 6 agents instead of 11."

Emily laughed at Merlin's reaction.

"You bet your American ass I am."

Caroline laughed, and then remembered something very important.

Emily had no idea that Merlin had lost his legs in the assault on Poppyland. Caroline walked over to a secluded corner, getting Merlin's attention immediately. He muted everyone and listened to her.

"Merlin, do you want me to tell her, or for her to see when we get to London?"

He sighed, his fear of her changing her mind about him surging to the forefront of his mind. Caroline was quick to ease them.

"You should have seen the way she reacted when she heard your voice, Merlin. She was in tears. I can tell that she missed you something fierce. Either way, she's going to find out, so what do you want to do?"

He rubbed his eyes, his anxiety coming to the fore.

"I'd like it better if she was prepared for it. It would be a big adjustment."

She nodded and dismissed herself from the conversation. She felt like Merlin needed a moment to himself, so she walked back over to the group. They all tensed up when a knock was heard at the door to the semi-crowded office. They were not expecting anyone. When a polite voice followed the knock, they relaxed a little bit. It was only Ryan.

"Caroline, I was coming to see if you had time to approve some labels for our barrel selects this quarter."

She chuckled, relaxing. Looking to the other agents, she smiled.

"Let's get started."


	14. Reunited Part 3: Merlin and Emily

Over the next few weeks, Caroline and Harry barely saw each other. Caroline was so busy with work that when she got home at night, all she wanted to do was collapse into bed, which, often times, Harry let her do. His role as Kingsman's brand representative was much less labor intensive, his time spent mostly listening to marketing director go on and on about things he already understood and stepping in when he thought it was necessary. He remembered with fondness the moment when Ryan realized that he wasn't paying attention as he spoke about the distilling process.

 _"Sir, are you even listening?"_

 _He had asked almost indignantly, his own sense of self-importance shining through. Harry looked him in the eye and shrugged._

 _"I stopped listening when you started talking about things I already know. Do you have anything to say worth listening to?"_

 _The man had turned beet red, whether, from anger or shame, Harry didn't know. He also didn't care. He checked his watch and smiled._

 _"I'm so sorry to go, but I have a lunch meeting with Ms. Richardson and Ms. Henderson, for which I am about to be late."_

 _Pointing at the screen, he smiled._

 _"Do send me that presentation. mdevere ."_

 _Ryan shook his head and let him leave, realizing when he had been dismissed._

Harry mentioned the man's seeming pretentiousness to Caroline as they ate, noticing that Emily agreed with almost every word that came out of his mouth regarding the man. She politely swallowed the remainder of the sandwich she was eating and wiped her hands.

"He thinks the world begins and ends with him. I feel bad for Bedivere. He's stuck there until something happens. I feel a coup coming in that department. No one likes him. You know Bedivere. He never complains unless it's something worth complaining about."

Harry nodded, and Caroline sighed, the real reason for this meeting coming to the forefront of her mind.

"Emily, there's a reason we called you here today."

She straightened up, apprehension immediately coloring her features.

"What is it?"

She asked, not sure if she wanted to know. Caroline looked over at Harry and he sighed. He reached over and took her hand in his, trying to offer any comfort he could before he spoke.

"When we staged the assault on Poppy Adam's estate, Merlin was with us. There were two auxiliary teams with us, one tactical and one medical just in case something went wrong..."

Emily tensed up, sensing where this was going.

"Something went wrong, didn't it? With Merlin."

She didn't even stage it as a question. She didn't like where this conversation was going but listened anyway. He was still alive so it couldn't have been that bad, but she still wanted to know. Harry continued, his voice shaking despite all efforts to keep it steady. Caroline leaned over and kissed his temple, taking his hand and holding it securely in hers, letting him know she was here.

"Eggsy had stepped on a landmine. Poppy had them all over the perimeter of her compound. Eggsy wasn't watching where he stepped, but Merlin knew that he was more suited to stage a hostile takeover than he was. Merlin used the Kingsman deodorant and that froze it just long enough for him to throw him off of it, taking his place."

Emily was crying at this point, her usually calm demeanor shaken to the very core by what she was hearing. All she could think of was how brave he had been, thinking he was going to die and still willing to sacrifice himself to save the world. Caroline took over for Harry, who was having a hard time speaking over the ever-growing lump in his throat.

"He had a machete and used it to hack down all the trees in front of him, distracting the guards into thinking he was the only one there. Eggsy and Harry spread out into the woods, the dark color of their suits helping them blend into the forest. I'm from the middle of the American country, but I'd never heard someone sing John Denver the way that he did that day. Once his rousing rendition of "Take Me Home, Country Road" was done, he stepped off the landmine and it blew him back a fair distance, I'd say about 45 feet. His Kingsman suit saved his life, that is for certain, but..."

Caroline swallowed past the lump that had mysteriously formed in her own throat and forced herself to tell her new friend and co-worker what happened next.

"He lost both of his legs. The left one above the knee, the right one at the knee."

Emily slumped back in the chair, not quite believing what she had been told. Merlin was a double amputee? That didn't bother her at all. What did bother her, however, was that this had happened to him and she had not been there to get him through it. She barely registered as Caroline continued speaking.

"Statesman has a tactical medicine division, of which I am still acting head. We pinpointed his location via his glasses and moved in, hoping he'd still be alive when we got to him. You'd be happy to know that he was cursing up a storm, trying to stop the bleeding with the tattered remains of his suit coat. It didn't work, of course, but, just like with the alpha gel that saved Harry's life, we had been developing a paste that would instantly cauterize wounds once it was exposed to the air. We used it on his stumps and he passed out from the pain, but he was alive and going to stay that way. Once we got him stabilized, we transported him back to our medical plane where we had a doctor standing by, who had to cut a few more inches of his legs off so there was a skin flap we could put over the stump. Harry and Eggsy didn't even know he was alive until they got back to Statesman after the mission was over. He was in a coma for a few days from the trauma of it all, but when he woke up, he was perfectly fine. No signs of a brain injury, no infection on the wounds, nothing out of the ordinary except the obvious lack of lower extremities. He insisted on getting prosthetics as soon as possible, but we had no choice but to hold off simply because he hadn't healed enough yet."

All of the information coming into her head had pointed to one simple fact: Emily would have lost both the love of her life and her pseudo-big brother if not for the woman sitting across from her. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but swallow it she did. She couldn't say it out loud because she didn't want to start crying again, but she looked across the table at the Caroline and tried desperately to show her how thankful she was. Luckily, Caroline caught on and smiled at her.

"You're welcome, Emily. You aren't the only one who loves them."

Looking at Harry, she smiled brightly, which made him smile right back. Emily nodded her agreement, wiping her nose with the denim work shirt she wore. She smiled at Harry, and then back at the miracle worker sitting at his side.

"No, I most certainly am not."

A sudden knock on the door grabbed their attention immediately. She was almost worried when she saw the matching smiles on the couple across from her's face, but then she realized what it meant. Throwing herself out of her chair so forcefully it hit the ground behind her, she ran and opened the door. What she saw on the other side took her breath away.

It was Merlin, and he had never looked more handsome to her than in that moment. She was snapped out of her reverie when he kissed her. It was unexpected, but she melted into it, accepting it and everything that came with it. Once they pulled apart, she stepped aside, allowing him into the room. You would never have guessed he was an amputee. He walked with a flawless gait and his legs looked almost exactly the same. She smiled so wide it almost split her cheeks. As Emily and Merlin walked back to the table, they noticed Caroline and Harry getting ready to leave. Harry handed Merlin the keys to his car, stating that he was going home with Caroline to make sure she got the rest she desperately needed. Caroline hugged them both, smiling as she took Harry's hand. Looking back as they walked out the door, she smiled a mischevious smile.

"Have fun you two."

Caroline threw behind her and then she was gone, leaving the two reunited lovers to themselves.


	15. Reunited Part 4: Indelible

Merlin couldn't believe it. She was there, right in front of him but he still couldn't believe it. Aside from some scarring, which he had to believe were from the fire at the estate, it was her. All 5'7 of her, exactly as he remembered. He had never seen her in denim before, but it was not an unwelcome sight. He analyzed her features, picking up on the fact that she was happy to see him. It wasn't that it surprised him, It was that even though he had changed, she didn't seem to care. He had wandered over to the window, admiring the view of his homeland the office afforded him. He barely noticed when Emily came over, took his hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

Instinctively, he reached over and kissed her forehead, smiling to himself when she sighed contentedly. She smiled, thrilled that he was there. She had never even considered the possibility, so consumed by anger and the grief. The rag-tag bunch had tried to enact doomsday protocol, but none of them were recovered from their injuries enough to do it. They'd have drawn attention to themselves needlessly, putting themselves in even more danger than the missiles had. However, her curiosity was getting the best of her. She wanted to see. Emily tugged on Merlin's arm, getting him to walk with her to the couch on the other side of the room. She stood in front of him and pushed him to sit. It was in that moment that Merlin knew exactly what she wanted.

"Emily..."

He said, his tone a warning of some kind. She didn't care.

"Hamish..."

She said back, and he surrendered. He bent down, slowly rolling up his pants, left leg and then right. She knelt down before him, analyzing everything about his new legs. They were incredibly well made, formed to his thighs at the top. From top to foot, they were made of brand new, top of the line material. Her curious fingers felt around for the fastener on his left leg, then the right. When she found it, she pressed down, waiting to see what would happen. With a pop, the leg disengaged and she was left to explore the stumps their removal left in the open. Merlin was quite embarrassed. He had wanted to ease her into this part of it, wanted to try and tell her that he could sleep with them on if she wanted, just so she didn't have to see, but without words, she inserted herself into that part of his existence.

He was brought back to reality when she slowly removed the cushioned sleeve that rested between his leg and the plastic of the prosthetic and began to massage his lower thigh. He relaxed back into the sofa, basking in the glow of this incredible reunion. Once she was done with his left leg, she repeated the process on the other side. Before the Scotsman knew it, She was finished. Emily placed the legs off to the side of the couch and sat down, curling up next to Merlin. Taking his hands, she tilted up so she was face to face with him. When she spoke, it was so soft that he almost missed it.

"Don't you see?"

She said, almost reverently. One of her hands had drifted up to his face, gently running her fingers over it as if she was embedding his features in her memory.

"Don't you see that nothing could change the way I view you? You're an indelible mark on my soul, Hamish, Nothing, and especially not this, will ever change that."

He swallowed down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He had done an excellent job of compartmentalizing his guilt and grief about what had happened to the other Kingsman.

Remember your training and all of that. If he didn't set the example, who would? But he had learned, when they returned to London after Poppyland, that sometimes, training wasn't enough to get you to forget the people you loved. He had found little pieces of her all over his home. Her favorite movie (P.S. I Love You,) her favorite book (Pride and Prejudice,) Her favorite clothes (Most of them were his leisure clothes, adopted by her. He had never had the heart to take them back, so he let her keep them.) She had been all around him, her presence or lack thereof, reminding him that he was almost completely alone in this life. He had become a Kingsman because he liked that. He liked helping people, and he liked being alone. So he found a job where he could do both. It had worked out well for him until the woman in his arms entered his life and wormed her way into his heart. She was the only person he allowed himself to be emotional with, the only one who knew his thoughts and fears and loved him despite them. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice when she straddled his hips and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eye.

"You can let go now, Merlin. I'm here. You don't have to hold it all together for me. Go ahead and cry, love. It's ok..."

He did. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her to him so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. As a year's worth of pent-up emotions flowed freely out of him, she held him, breathing in his unique scent, not realizing just how much she had missed it. Eventually, he had exhausted himself, falling asleep with his head nestled in the crook of her neck. She brought her hand up and rested it on the back of his head, gently rubbing it as a way to ground him to the fact that she was there.

"It's alright, love. I'll never leave you again."

After some strategic rotating, they were both asleep on the couch, where they stayed the whole night


	16. Author's Note

**Hello everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I got shoulder surgery last week, so it's going to take me a little while longer to update than usual. I can't type with my right hand because the sling I have to wear keeps me from doing so it takes a lot longer to type considering I'm not left hand dominant. Please bear with me, and know that I am writing as fast as I can! - KLM**


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